City Limits: Filming Belfast, Beirut and Berlin in Troubled Times (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781501380457)

Belfast, Beirut and Berlin are notorious for their internal boundaries and borders. As symbols for political disunion, the three cities have inspired scriptwriters and directors from diverse cultural backgrounds. Despite their different histories, they share a wide range of features central to divided cities. In each city, particular territories take on specific symbolic and psychological meanings. Following a comparative approach, this book concentrates on the cinematographic representations of Belfast, Beirut and Berlin. Filmmakers are in constant search for new ways in order to engage with urban division. Making use of a variety of genres reaching from thriller to comedy, they explore the three cities' internal and external borders, as well as the psychological boundaries existing between citizens belonging to different communities. Among the characters featuring in films set in Belfast, Berlin and Beirut we may count dangerous gunmen, prisoners' wives, soldiers and snipers, but also comic Stasi-members, punk aficionados and fake nuns. The various characters contribute to the creation of a multifaceted image of city limits in troubled times.

Author: Stephanie Schwerter
ISBN-10: 1501380451
ISBN-13: 9781501380457
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Language: English
Published: 01/13/2022
Pages: 312
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.29lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 04/01/2023