Film - INVERSE JOURNAL

Factory or Corporation: What “Severance” Gets Wrong — An Analysis by Muzaffar Karim

Mar 10, 2023

Muzaffar Karim presents an analysis of “Severance” (2022, Apple+), the critically-acclaimed award-winning TV series directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, with Adam Scott in the lead. Karim’s analytical piece fills the void that is often left by mainstream reviews that are mainly concerned with plot, characterization, theme, ratings and “watchability” and restricted by wordcount. In this piece, Karim meditates on the vocabulary, ideas, thematic undertones, imagery and subtexts found in the show that ultimately facilitate a theoretical and critical commentary on bigger and more pressing questions in dialogue with the work of multiple philosophers and thinkers.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions presented in this piece are the author’s own. This piece contains some spoilers.

Sufism in Cinema: The Case of Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul — by Ridade Öztürk

This article presents a discussion of key aspects of knowledge in Sufism through an analysis of the film Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (Nacer Khemir, 2005). The dominant Western perspective argues for the necessity of a rational, objective form of knowledge which is based on logical argument and precepts. This perspective, however, fails to recognize the alternative form of experiential knowledge which lies at the heart of the Sufi tradition. In this respect, Bab’Aziz is an important film because its content and its narrative technique is an expression of certain knowledge, knowledge without doubt, and kashf, unveiling or discovery. This article compares knowledge in Sufism (Tasawwuf) to the concept of knowledge in the Western tradition, and argues for a reconsideration of the meaning of philosophy as understood by the Ancient Greeks. Originally published in Volume 23, Issue 1 of Film-Philosophy journal and republished here via CC-SA-4.0.

Gaekhir Republik: A Band Singing the Blues in Kashmir — A Short Documentary by NewsClick

Summary by NewsClick (via CC): With some intense songs about sorrow and prayer, the band Gaekhir Republik (GR) is one of the few bands that sing about the complexities of life and death in Jammu and Kashmir. Between hopelessness and violence, musicians find it hard to celebrate their art. But many like the GR are making a mark through their lyrical compositions which articulate the themes of struggle, mystery and twilight in the valley. All media embedded directly from source via Creative Commons.

Dancing to the Tunes of an Algorithm: Mapping Labor Through Franco Berardi and Byung-Chul Han — by Muzaffar Karim

In this essay, Muzaffar Karim sets an important series of discussions in motion by evaluating four concepts—Time, Labor, Consent, Technology—and their interrelationship in the modern world-system. Karim explores relevant theoretical ideas by Franco Berardi and Byun-Chul Han, applying them to an original and multimodal critique that takes examples from a variety of classic and popular films. The writer also cites earlier work on such topics by influential thinkers such as Deleuze, Guattari, Marx, Foucault, Baudrillard, and others, in a synthesis of ideas that harmonize consistently with core perspectives on set notions and valuations of employment, work, wealth, happiness, etc. These set notions and valuations are problematized and critiqued within the prism of an era governed by digital platforms, data networks, web apps, and big data, all of which have led to the genesis of a new human subject. While maintaining an accessible academic tone, Karim’s essay is equally entertaining and abundant in relatable references and observations that invite critical consideration and needed reflection. Note: The word “labor” is used as Franco Berardi refers to it in his writing.

Decolonizing Space: What The White Lotus and The Chair Get Wrong about Student Politics — by Shayoni Mitra

In this piece, Shayoni Mitra, who teaches at Barnard College, Columbia University, provides a direly needed critique on two highly-watched and trending shows, The White Lotus (Netflix) and The Chair (HBO). While discussing what succeeds and stands out in both series, Dr. Mitra problematizes common fissures that reveal what is deeply absent from the plotlines, characterizations, and thematic undercurrents that respectively shape both of these popular series.

Nazi Hunters — The Complete Season 1 — Eight Episodes (Cineflix, 2011)

In a series of “real-life detective stories,” the eight episodes of “Nazi Hunters” relies on archival material and expert perspectives to present the capture of Nazi fugitives responsible for the genocide of millions of people (most of whom were Jews). The series brings to the screen the missions of “a select band of secret agents and avengers” who “hunted down some of the most evil men in history…and finally brought them to justice” after the end of World War II.

Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994) — by PBS

On Malcolm X’s birthday, an elaborate documentary that explores his political life, his activism and the legacy of resistance he left behind for people around the world. The film gathers testimonials and accounts from his friends, family, and the journalists who knew him, along with archival footage of the man and the historical figure himself. The documentary was produced and aired by PBS on January 26, 1994. All rights reserved by Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

My Neighbourhood (2012) — A Documentary Film by Julia Bacha and Rebekah Wingert-Jabi

First released in 2012, “My Neighborhood” is a documentary film that follows the life of Mohammed El Kurd, “a Palestinian boy growing up in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in the heart of East Jerusalem. When Mohammed turns 11, his family is forced to give up part of their home to Israeli settlers, who are leading a campaign of court-sanctioned evictions to guarantee Jewish control of the area.”

Produced for Just Vision, an organization seeking to build peace between Palestinians and Israelis, the symbolic meaning of this film has ascended to greater historical importance given the current and horrific situation being lived in the neighborhood at the center of this film and by extension in the rest of Palestine.

More than a decade later, the producers of the film held an online screening on April 22, 2021, followed by a discussion about Sheikh Jarrah with the film’s protagonist, Mohammed El Kurd (now in his 20s), and Just Vision’s Director of Education and Outreach in Palestine and the film’s producer, Rula Salameh. The conversation was moderated by Just Vision’s Executive Director, Suhad Babaa.

Roof Knocking (2017) — A Short Film Directed by Sina Salimi

In war-stricken Palestine, a woman prepares a meal for her family to break the fast in the month of Ramadan. A phone call by an Israeli soldier alerts her of the bombing of her building in 10 minutes. Coming to accept her family’s fate is the only way she has to make a stand for her life, with grim consequences. Synopsis by Sergio Salazar. The film is based on a ‘standard procedure’ that was ‘innovated’ and put into effect by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since 2008.

Film Commentary: On Axone — by Enatoli Sema

“The intent for writing this piece arose from a desire to note a historic event for the people from the Northeast,” writes Enatoli Sema in her commentary on “Axone,” a film she considers a “critical piece of art.” In response to the film and what it inspired in the writer, Sema first reflects on her heritage, culture and its intrinsic value and secondly, on the “unacceptability of discrimination.”

RIP: A Remix Manifesto (2008) — Directed by Brett Gaylor

Immerse yourself in the energetic, innovative and potentially illegal world of mash-up media with RiP: A Remix Manifesto. Let web activist Brett Gaylor and musician Greg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, serve as your digital tour guides on a probing investigation into how culture builds upon culture in the information age.

Out of Sight (2019) — A film by Azad Essa and Horia El Hadad

In what Kashmiri writer Mirza Waheed has interrogated as “the world’s first mass blinding,” here is the story of 18-year-old Farzan Sheikh, who was blinded by pellets fired by Indian government forces a year after the horrific four month curfew of 2016. During that year, “17,000 adults and children” had “been injured” and “nearly five thousand” had “been arrested”, while “an entire population spent the summer under the longest curfew in the history of curfews in Kashmir.” However, with so many Kashmiris blinded through the use of pellet fire, the state’s policy did not change. In 2017, Farzan became yet another target of such violence while attending a funeral procession. Azad Essa and Horia El Hadad present his story in this short documentary. Relevant links included.

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