Realism of the Senses in Contemporary World Cinema ― The Experience of Physical Reality

Over the last decade, a realist tendency has made its mark on the world cinema map. What are its main aesthetic and political characteristics? How does it relate to the realist canon and world cinema history? What are the different facets of this phenomenon as expressed in diverse cinemas across the globe?

Drawing on foundational realist theories and recent takes on the body and the senses, this illuminating book aims to provide in-depth answers to these questions by examining the fascinating work of Carlos Reygadas (Mexico), Tsai Ming-liang (Taiwan) and Gus Van Sant (US), including award-winning films such Japon, Vive l'amour and Elephant. In their common allegiance to the long take, these are cinemas characterized by a sensory mode of address based on the protracted inspection of physical reality. Their hyperbolic focus on material phenomena, de Luca argues, translates into phenomenological film experiences that provide an antidote to a world saturated by simulation processes. The book demonstrates how these cinemas politically affirm new ways of being in the world.

Tiago de Luca is Lecturer in World Cinemas and Portuguese in the department of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies at the University of Liverpool, UK.