the philosophy of horror
experimental, found footage film, 60’ 2020
The Philosophy of Horror – A Symphony of Film Theory is a seven-part abstract abstract adaptation of Noël Carroll’s influential film theoretical book of the same title (published in 1990), which is a close examination of the horror genre. Our film uses hand painted and decayed 35 mm film strips of the classic slasher movie A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984) and its sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985).
director: Péter Lichter, Bori Máté
producer: Dora Nedeczky
editor: Péter Lichter, Bori Máté
music: Ádám Márton Horváth
editing: Péter Lichter, Bori Máté
based on: The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart, New York, Routledge, 1990
DIRECTORS’ CONCEPT
The Philosophy of Horror – A Symphony of Film Theory is an immersive meditation on genre theory, which aims to demonstrate the eternal beauty of Art Philosophy and Pop Culture’s interconnectedness. We wish to prove that film theory is a magical, uncanny space, where the viewer can step in – or more precisely: dive in. The tactile images of the decaying film body and the collapsing body of the characters themselves draw the observers in to the process of perception in such a visceral way that the boundaries of Self and Other, human and non-human, body and nature fade away. Through this journey, the viewers become the part of the creation of a new kind of coexistence where minerals, insects, liquids and bodies grow into one horrifying symphony.
Part I. – Etymology
Part II. – Emotion
Part III. – Geography
Part IV. – Curiosity
Part V. – Cosmic Fear
Part VI. – Fascination
Part VII. – Paradox
Selected Festivals of Part I. – Etyomology
- 23rd Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival – Fascinations
- 12th Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen – European Competition
- goEast Film Festival, Wiesbaden
- 14th Motelx Lisbon International Horror Film Festival – Experimental Horror Shorts
Selected Festivals of the full film
- 30th FilmFestival Cottbus – Spectrum Programme
- 48th Torino International Film Festival – Rol’s room
- 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam – Regained