American Cinema and the Southern Imaginary

Examines aspects of the southern imaginary in American cinema and offers fresh insight into the evolving field of southern film studies. It argues that the southern imaginary in film is not contained by the boundaries of geography and genre; it is not an offshoot of mainstream American film but is integral to the history and the development of American cinema. In making their case, the contributors examine films from the silent era to the present, including Hollywood movies, documentaries, and independent films.