Drifting with Cousins: Mark Cousins and the Psychogeographical Essay Film
Drifting with Cousins: Mark Cousins and the Psychogeographical Essay Film
Author(s): Kyle BarrettSubject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
Published by: Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai, Facultatea de Teatru si Televiziune
Keywords: Essay film; psychogeography; dérive; creative practice;
Summary/Abstract: This article discusses a selection of works by filmmaker Mark Cousins, arguably an under-examined figure with regard to film studies. It is contended that Cousins has fashioned a distinctive approach to the essay film. Adopting a “psychogeographical” perspective, this article will analyse What is this Film Called Love? (2012), Here Be Dragons (2013), and Life May Be (co-directed by Mania Akbari, 2014), all of which feature Cousins as a central figure and active participant on screen. In essence, each film is a documented dérive, a practice pioneered and developed by the Situationist International that locates intersections between specific locations and their psychological impact on the “self”. It is posited that Cousins “Do-It-Yourself” practices rupture many conventions of filmmaking, producing a singular body of work in contemporary cinema.
Journal: Ekphrasis. Images, Cinema, Theory, Media
- Issue Year: 26/2021
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 27-42
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English