How do we understand types of cinema that offer experiences of discomfort, awkwardness or disquieting uncertainty? This book examines a number of examples of such work at the heart of contemporary art and indie film. While the commercial mainstream tends to offer comforting viewing experiences – or moments of discomfort that exist largely to be overcome – The Cinema of Discomfort analyses films in which discomfort is offered in a sustained manner. Cinema of this kind confronts us with material such as distinctly uncomfortable sexual encounters. It invites us into uncertain relationships with awkward and sometimes unlikable characters. It presents us with challenging behaviour or what are presented as uncomfortable realities. It often refuses information on which to base judgments. More discomfortingly, cinema of this kind tends to provoke uncertainty at the level of what emotional responses we are encouraged to have towards difficult, sometimes controversial, characters or events.
The Cinema of Discomfort examines a number of case-studies, including Palindromes by Todd Solondz (US) and Dogtooth from Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece), along with other examples from Austria, Sweden, the UK, the US and Germany. Offering close textual analysis of the manner in which discomfort is generated, it also asks how we should understand the appeal of such work to certain viewers and how the existence of films of this kind can be explained, as products of both their socio-cultural context and the more particular institutional realms of art and indie film.

eBook - PDF
The Cinema of Discomfort
Disquieting, Awkward and Uncomfortable Experiences in Contemporary Art and Indie Film
- 305 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
The Cinema of Discomfort
Disquieting, Awkward and Uncomfortable Experiences in Contemporary Art and Indie Film
About this book
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Figure
- Introduction
- 1 Into the discomfort zone
- 2 ‘Uncomfortably great’: Todd Solondz and Palindromes
- 3 Ulrich Seidl: Far from paradise
- 4 Weirdly discomforting: Dogtooth and the Greek new wave
- 5 Forces majeure and minor: From existential alienation to personal obligation in the films of Roy Andersson and Ruben Östlun
- 6 A very English discomfort: Joanna Hogg
- 7 The comedy of discomfort: Towards a conclusion
- Select bibliography
- Index
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Yes, you can access The Cinema of Discomfort by Geoff King in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.