Film scrutinizes philosophical matters through fiction

Pera Film presents its new program titled "Not in This Life! Metaphysics and Cinema," which will be screened in parallel with Pera Museum's exhibition "Giorgio de Chirico: The Enigma of the World." As a part of the selection, Richard Linklate's live-action rotoscoped film "Waking Life" will be screened on April 23. The film was shot using digital video and then a team of artists using computers drew stylized lines and colors over each frame. "Waking Life," whose title is a reference to the philosopher George Santayana's theory "Sanity is a madness put to good uses; waking life is a dream controlled," focuses on the nature of dreams and consciousness. An unidentified young man is in a persistent and lucid dream-like state. He initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions of issues such as reality, free will, the relationship of the subject with others and the meaning of life. The film also touches on other topics including existentialism, politics, post-humanity, the film theory of Andre Bazin and lucid dreaming itself.

When: April 23

Where: Pera Museum