Based on a True Story: Latin American History at the Movies

Combining history with discussions of dramatic cinema, Based on a True Story: Latin American History at the Movies examines how film has portrayed Latin America from the late fifteenth century to the present. The book opens with an introduction on the visual presentation of the past in the movies, while the rest of the book consists of essays that explore the best feature films on Latin America from the professional historian's perspective.

This collection of essays will come as a useful guide for conducting classroom discussions about films focusing on Latin American history. The editor's choice of films is good, as are the introduction and most of the essays, which are by historians rather than researchers in the field of cinema studies. (Reseñas)

This excellent volume will certainly stimulate an expanded use of film in the teaching of Latin American history. Donald Stevens and the other contributors have done an extraordinary job of providing a rich and provocative text for student discussion. (Lyman L. Johnson)

A stimulating collection of essays that will be invaluable to anyone who has ever used film in the classroom or is thinking of doing so. The selections successfully provoke readers to explore what appears on the screen as well as to consider why constructions of both history and film are shaped the way they are. A welcome and long-overdue addition to the literature, Based on a True Story is accessible to a wide audience—historians and film critics alike. (Susan Deans-Smith University Of Texas At Austin)

Stevens and the contributors...should be commended for providing additional tools to understand and teach Latin America's complex history. (The Journal Of Latin American Studies And World Affairs)