Often overlooked and overshadowed by its North American cousin, Canadian cinema has nevertheless produced some mesmerising films and directors, including Atom Egoyan, Robert Lepage and Denys Arcand. The Cinema of Canada contains 24 essays, each on a different film and divides itself into three distinct categories: English-Canadian cinema; Quebec cinema; Aboriginal cinema. In so doing, it provides a fascinating historical account of the development of film and documentary traditions across the diverse national and regional communities in Canada. Among the many important films discussed are Le Declin de l'empire americain (1988), I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1988), Exotica (1994), Le Confessionale (1995) and Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001).