Notes from Region 2

Abstract

Academic and populist attempts at defining European cinema encounter such similar problems to political economists and politicians when delineating the extent and remit of the European Union that the application of social, economic and political theory to European film studies might be worth a go. Basing itself upon a suggestive correlation between the European Union as a community of sentiment and the region coding of its DVDs, this article assesses the impact of new screen technologies and the rebranding of the European Union on European film-makers and audiences. Building on links with recent events in Europe and the USA and the dislocation and disempowerment of protagonists in recent European and American cinema, this article develops an idea of the pan-European stratification of persons based on economic criteria and access to technology that has consequences for the future of European film.

Keywords:

• Film
• Europe
• communications technology
• popular culture

Notes

¹ Two additional regions, 7 and 8, are reserved for specialized use.