The Utopia of Film

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The German filmmaker Alexander Kluge has long promoted cinema¿s relationship with the goals of human emancipation. Jean-Luc Godard and Filipino director Kidlat Tahimik also believe in cinema¿s ability to bring about what Theodor W. Adorno once called a ¿redeemed world, ¿ even in the face of new cultural and technological challenges. In three groundbreaking essays, Christopher Pavsek showcases these utopian visions, drawing attention to their strengths, weaknesses, and undeniable impact on film¿s political evolution. Pavsek approaches Godard, Tahimik, and Kluge as thinkers first, situating their films within debates over social revolution, utopian ideals, and the unrealized potential of utopian thought and action. He replays the battle these artists waged against Hollywood interests, the seduction of other digital media, and the privileging of mass entertainment over cinema¿s progressive, revolutionary roots. In the thwarted ambitions, disappointed hopes, and thrilling experiments of these forward-thinking filmmakers, Pavsek reinforces an important chapter in the history of film and its relevance to political filmmaking today.