According to the Slovenian philosopher Slavoy Zizek, who also wrote the screenplay of The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, directed in 2006 by Sophie Fiennes, in our society, the individual is no longer obliged to dedicate his life – to the point of sacrificing it – to a cause (be it ideological or political) since his duty has become that of “appreciating,” or rather, getting pleasure from what is offered to him. And, in view of the mass of proposals that bombard us, the search for pleasure could be infinite. To support this innovative thesis, never so current as now, the director and the philosopher have edited in sequences images taken from cult movies and masterpieces from the history of cinema.
Biography
film director
Sophie Fiennes
Sophie Fiennes (Ipswich, UK, 1967) is an English director and producer. After studying painting at the Chelsea School of Art, she collaborated between 1987 and 1992 with Peter Greenaway, before going on to direct the Michael Clark Company dance ensemble. She debuted in film in 1998 with the short Lars from 1-10, in which Lars von Trier explains the origin of Dogma 95, which was followed by other documentaries, including including the two titles created together with the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (2006) and The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012), selected at the Torino Film Festival.
FILMOGRAFIA
Lars from 1-10 (cm, doc., 1998), The Late Michael Clark (doc., 1999), Because I Sing (doc., 2001), Hoover Street Revival (doc., 2002), The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (doc., 2006), VSPRS Shows and Tell (doc., 2007), Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (doc., 2010), The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (doc., 2012) First Row Orchestra (tv, cm, doc., 2012), Liu Xiaodong Half Street (doc., 2013), Grace Jones - Bloodlight and Bami (doc., 2017).
Declaration
film director
“It feels that now, 2012, is absolutely the right time to make this film. It has been thrilling and demanding for me to bring these ideas together in a film. Through the examples we use, which range between movies, music, history and current events, ideology emerges as an ever-shifting fantasy-frame shaping all societies.”
Cast
& Credits
sceneggiatura/screenplay Slavoj Zizek
fotografia/cinematography Remko Schnorr
montaggio/film editing Ethel Sheperd
scenografia/production design Lucy von Lonkhuyzen
costumi/costume design Debbie Millington
musica/music Magnus Fiennes
suono/sound Steve Fanagan
interpreti/cast Slavoj Zizek, Sophie Fiennes
produttori/producers Martin Rosenbaum, James Wilson, Katie Holly produzione/production P Guide Ltd, Blinder Films, Bord Scannán na héireann, Film4, British Institute Film Fund, Rooks Nest Entertainment
vendita all’estero/world sales Doc & Film International