The pontianak, a terrifying female vampire ghost, is a powerful figure in Malay cultures. Exploring how and why the pontianak found new life in postcolonial Southeast Asian film and society, Rosalind Galt reveals the importance of cinema to histories and theories of decolonization.
Italian neorealism is often seen as a national response to wartime atrocities, but Brutal Vision argues for a broader interpretation. It contends that films like Rome, Open City and Bicycle Thieves should be viewed as influential agents in reshaping global politics postwar, rather than merely national products. The book highlights how these films use cinema to foster liberal humanist sympathy, playing a crucial role in establishing a new era of world stability.