This book provides a unique examination of the way Europe's past is represented on contemporary screens and what this says about contemporary cultural attitudes to history. How do historical dramas come to TV and cinema screens across Europe? How is this shaped by the policies and practices of cultural institutions, from media funding boards to tourist agencies and heritage sites? Who watches these productions and how are they consumed in cinemas, on TV and online?, are just some of the questions this volume seeks to answer. From The Lives of Others to Game of Thrones, historical dramas are a particularly visible part of mainstream European film production, often generating major national debates on the role of the past in contemporary national identity construction.

Author Biography

Professor Paul Cooke is Centenary Chair of World Cinemas at the University of Leeds, UK. He has written on world cinema's engagement with Hollywood and on the legacy of both National Socialism and the GDR in contemporary German culture. He is currently developing a series of community filmmaking projects exploring the `dark heritage' of Germany and South Africa. Professor Rob Stone is Chair of European Cinema and Professor of Film Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is the author of several volumes on Spanish cinema, the political and cultural history of Basque cinema, flamenco and film, Surrealism and the cinema of Richard Linklater.