Towards New Definitions of Eastern and Central European Cinematic Social Realism
Towards New Definitions of Eastern and Central European Cinematic Social Realism

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the issue of defining social realism within the context of Eastern and Central European cinema. Although this region’s cinema has long been associated with films that combine social issues with the conventions of realism, a definition that encompasses the local specificity of its film traditions, as well as historical, political, and social contexts, has yet to be established. The author provides an overview of how the term ‘social realism’ is used in English-language books on the cinema of this region by Eastern European scholars and tests the applicability of Western concepts in the context of Eastern Europe. She identifies key features that determine regional distinctiveness, such as the legacy of socialist realism, the tradition of ‘double coding’ in film, and local cinematic phenomena. The author concludes by advocating for greater collaboration among regional scholars on research projects to develop new, context-specific theories.

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