The idea that “realism” is the common denominator across the vast range of productions normally labelled as “world cinema” is widespread and seemly uncontroversial. Leaving aside oppositional binaries that define world cinema as the other of Hollywood or of classical cinema, this chapter will test the realist premise by locating it in the mode of production. It will define this mode as an ethics that engages filmmakers, at cinema’s creative peaks, with the physical and historical environment, reflecting a commitment to its political improvement. The chapter will conclude by proposing “realist” cinema as a more accurate term than “world” or “modern” cinema to signify this ethics.