When was the last time you heard someone complaining that “we’re doomed”? I suspect not too long ago. It is a sentiment often echoed by both the young and old, expressing a loss of hope for the future, a belief that humanity has failed in its existence and teeters on the precipice of defeat. Whether it be the environment, the society, or personal traumas, reasons to fear the collapse of the seemingly almighty system we are blindly entrusting seem to be in abundance.
This semester, our Filmstelle program delves into this pervasive sense of doom. You might consider it too morose of a theme, but we beg to differ; This feeling of finality is prevalent in our everyday experiences (and in film!), and its depiction deserves to be investigated.
The most straightforward scenario that comes to mind would be apocalypse movies, particularly those related to wars. Apocalypse Now exposes the absurdity of war in the context of the Vietnam War. The Cold War also inspired Tarkovsky in The Sacrifice, which stages a man turning to God to prevent an impending nuclear disaster. The 60s were tainted with such fear of nuclear holocausts, as seen in Dr. Strangelove or in The Birds.
The turn of an epoch can also evoke this sense of demise. The Wild Bunch or Goodbye Dragon Inn both portray an aging population struggling to adapt to a changing modern world.
The theme naturally lends itself to science fiction. Thus, our program comprises two such movies, all Japanese, both with its distinctive visual language: Akira with its futuristic dystopian world, and Tetsuo, a cult classic for grotesque cyberpunk lovers. The latter will be preceded by a short movie called La Jetée, which tells a post nuclear time travel story, almost entirely from still photos.
Sometimes, personal tragedies can also feel like a whole world collapsing. The Turin Horse, The Devil Probably and Taste of Cherry present characters who abandon dealing with their mind-numbing everyday existence. Finally, La Notte paints a poignant portrait of a disillusioned couple, as they question the vanity of their lives.
Despite its depressing undertone, Progigruppe had a blast putting together this program. We hope you enjoy the cycle, and see you at Filmstelle!