ABSTRACT
This introductory chapter to the collection Sport, Film, and National Culture provides an overview of the major themes examined in the volume. The chapter examines the close connections between sport, film and national cultures historically and charts how these connections build on the existing, longstanding, and complex affinities between sport and the nation. In addition to a review of the work of major contributors to the relevant discourses, the chapter also introduces the collection’s case studies from eleven national contexts across six continents – including North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania – and identifies the common and contrasting approaches that have emerged within sport cinema in differing national contexts. Additional observations are also provided on the relevance of the collection’s focus to cinema releases in further contexts, including Australia, China, Russia, Senegal, India and Ireland.
