Although Filipino cinema dates to the early silent era and shares many characteristics with Western film, it has frequently been ignored by Western critics and audiences. This book offers a rare study of cinema in the Philippines. The first half of the work presents a history. Chapters cover lost pre-World War II films, the postwar cinema boom, the Philippines' unique relationship with the United States and its manifestation on film, and Filipino cinema's decline. The second half of the book is the most comprehensive published filmography of Filipino cinema to date.