"All drama takes the form of one of 36 situations. That was Georges Polti's theory about theatre, which he put forward in his book The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, published in French in the mid-19th century. A century and a half later, Mike Figgis was struggling with a film treatment. He couldn't get it right. But when he turned to Polti's book, the sample situations helped clarify his ideas and broaden the landscape of his creativity. He saw just how useful this sort of framework could be for writers, and decided to rework Polti's theory for a modern, film-focused audience. Combining re-imagined situations with cinematic examples, and chart-based analysis of 150 great films, the resulting book is an invaluable a stimulating tool for any writer."--Page 4 of cover.Mike Figgis is the renowned film-maker and musician whose career began with the People Show in the 1970s. His film credits include 'Stormy Monday', 'Internal Affairs', 'Miss Julie', 'Timecode' and 'Hotel'. He received Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay for 'Leaving Las Vegas'. His photographs have been displayed at galleries throughout the world, and he has created installations for gallery spaces.