Daniela Angelucci: Cinema and Real as Immanence

The Real of Reality | International Conference on Philosophy and
Film


Wed, 02.11.2016 – Sun, 06.11.2016
ZKM_Media Theater, ZKM_Lecture Hall, ZKM_Media Lounge, ZKM_Cube


In Lacan’s theory of the three registers of human life (Real,
Imaginary, Symbolic), Real is quite different from reality. If
the reality is the world seen through our faculties of Imaginary
(selfawareness) and Symbolic (language), what is behind reality
is properly the Real, something elusive and resisting to
meaningful formulations. I will argue that such dimension can be
thought very close to the Deleuze’s idea of pure immanence. In
»What is philosophy?« Deleuze and Guattari write that immanence
can be faced not only from philosophy, but from science and art
as well. The specific content of philosophy are concepts, the
ones of science functions, and the ones of art the composition of
sensible aggregates. Art does not cross the plane of virtuality
and becoming as philosophy does, it does not establish a plane of
reference in which placing the variable entities of the universe
as science does, but rather territorializes and
deterritorializes, that is it allows a “leap” guiding the artist
from chaos into the organization of aesthetic composition, a
composition which anyway remains always open. My suggestion is
that art is the most frequented and feasible route to approach
immanence (or Real), to brush against ideas and sensations which
are usually dispersed without however succumbing them. In
particular, among the different artistic practices, cinema –
thanks to the impersonality of its technical genesis – can be a
privileged way to grasp Real in its immanence.


Daniela Angelucci is associate professor of aesthetics at
University of Roma Tre. She studies aesthetics and philosophy of
art, particularly philosophy of film. She earned her PhD at
University of Palermo in 2002. Since 2003 she collaborates
assiduously to the works edited by Istituto della Enciclopedia
Italiana (Treccani). Her early work is on phenomenological
aesthetics and philosophy of literature. She is managing editor
of the review »Lebenswelt. Aesthetics and philosophy of
experience«, and staff member of »Fata Morgana. Quadrimestrale di
cinema e visioni«. She is member of the editorial board of the
series Estetica e critica (Quodlibet).


International Conference on Philosophy and Film
Photography and film in particular paved the way for complex
philosophical questions regarding the nature of reality and its
mechanical reproduction. What does film reproduce and how can we
grasp this element, which has the transactive ability to form
reality although originating in reality? This shaping takes palce
through a complex interaction of image, action and narration and
tends to permeate reality completely. It is an inconspicuous
process that already affects our everyday life profoundly and is
based on a revolution of the real. What does film show? Do we
have access to reality that is not based on images or narrations?
And what can film and its analysis contribute to philosophical
debates on the real?
These are questions we are asking to engage in a dialogue between
philosophy and film. For five days, one hundred and fifty
philosophers, media scholars and filmmakers will connect
philosophical theory with cinematic practice and open up new
ideas and concepts. To accompany the program, there will be film
screenings of documentaries of the invited filmmakers.
The participation at the conference is also possible without the
presentation of a paper.
The conference will be held in English.