Images of the World and the Inscription of War
Director: Harun Farocki
Year Released: 1989
Rating: 2.5
Avant-garde filmmaker Farocki uses surveillance footage taken by bombers of the Concentration Camps during WWII as a starting point to investigate human perception, the accuracy and inaccuracy of images and technological developments in the field of visual analysis. Farocki's more of an experimental director than research-oriented thinker, so this doesn't exactly come together all that coherently, but he can't be faulted for trying to extend his ideas to other facets of life besides war. He was probably not at all surprised by the development of Google Earth, with its 'street-view' perspective of New York City: with a few clicks from the safety of one's own home, one can easily view the rooftop of said home. Followers of Paul Virilio and Jean Baudrillard should make it a priority to see this.
