This volume of the World Film Locations series explores the location Moscow, a megapolis with over 12 million inhabitants and a city with a rich and varied history that has not always been the country's capital. First mentioned in 1147, the town was one of the principal cities of the ancient Rus and had come under frequent attack from the Mongols since the 13th century. Under Ivan III Moscow became the capital city, which it remained until 1712 when St Petersburg was founded, only to dominate for the following 200 years the cultural life of 18th and 19th century literature and the arts. In 1918, following the Revolution, Moscow became the capital of the Soviet Union and remained capital of the Russian Federation after 1991. Moscow's status as capital, from 1918 to the present, thus more or less coincides with the life of the silver screen, since there are only few preserved filmic depictions of the city from pre-Revolutionary years. In the Soviet era, film often served propaganda purposes; therefore, the image of Moscow on celluloid echoes the political ambitions of the country, and film locations and settings reflect the cultural agenda of the times.

Barcelona is one of the world's most beautiful cities. A permanent showcase of the work of acclaimed architect Antoni Gaudi, it also has a long and rich cinematic legacy. Great directors from all over the world — among them Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar, and Michelangelo Antonioni — have set their films there. World Film Locations: Barcelona is the first book of its kind to explore the rich cinematic history of this seductive Catalonian city. The illuminating essays collected here cover essential themes of the city's cinematic history, including the origins of cinema in Barcelona; the role of Ciutat Vella (old quarter) as a film set; the influential Barcelona School of the 1960s; the film presence of Gaudi and his work; changing attitudes and urban renewal before and after the 1992 Olympics; and the emergence of a new generation of female filmmakers that have made Barcelona the center of their cinematic explorations. This book will be a welcome addition to the libraries of anyone enchanted by the beauty of Barcelona, whether in person on the big screen.

This title is elegantly designed and packed with evocative film stills, location info and maps. It is affordable and collectable. It offers a range of a high-profile professional contributors, some of whom are Chicagoan critics. The book provides an accessible look at the historical scope of representing: the city. It addresses the multiple ways it is depicted in contemporary cinema. It works both as a guidebook for tourists and a critical intervention for academics studying the cinematic city. It features a diverse mix of contributors, including leading scholars and film critics. World Film Locations: Chicago is a beautifully illustrated, insightfully written survey of movies shot in Chicago from 1897 to 2012. Featuring films from beloved classics to modern blockbusters and obscure silents, the book celebrates the unique character of Chicago on the big screen and is written by a range of contributors — including critics and filmmakers — who are experts on the subjects of cinema and Chicago.

An extraordinarily beautiful city that has been celebrated, criticized, and studied in many films, San Francisco is both fragile and robust. Gathering more than forty short pieces on specific scenes from San Franciscan films, this book includes essays on topics that dominate the history of filmmaking in the city.

This book explores the rich history of films that have used the floating city as evocative backdrop and integral character. Few cities are as densely packed with picturesque cinematic locations. Extensively illustrated with maps, film stills, and present-day location photos, this book provides both a colorful guide to, and an incisive examination of, Venice on film. It contains insightful film entries describing carefully chosen scenes from each film, as well as six thematic essays, written by an impressive international selection of film critics, academics, and Venice experts. The grand and familiar tourist spots take on new significances, and the book highlights less well-known spots beyond the tourist trail, including gondola repair yards and legendary, but well-hidden, restaurants. From one of the earliest mobile shots in film history — a voyage up the Grand Canal shot in 1896 — to classic depictions of the city like Summertime, Death in Venice, and Don't Look Now, as well as recent big budget productions such as The Tourist, this book spans the history of filmmaking in Venice.