Matt Shea
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Morgan Bell
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David O'Connell
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Can Humanity be Replicated?
June 29th 2009 17:49
On Saturday night (27th June, 2009) SBS TV in Australia aired a series of short films.
There were five short films in total, but two were particularly interesting. "High Maintenance" by Phillip Van (German, in English), and "Berni's Doll" by Yann Jouette (French) were both films that examined gender and the human condition by telling stories about robots.
Often stories about artificial human life can shed light on real human faults.
These short-films force you to ask yourself: What makes a man a man? What makes a woman a woman? Can you replicate the essence of gender from a box of mix-n-match parts? Can you form the perfect husband or wife from synthetic materials and be satisfied with what you create? Would the synthetic partner be happy with you?
These are not new concepts. We have seen the question raised in The Stepford Wives, Blade Runner, Edward Scissorhands, Terminator, A.I., Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica.
It is also a common speculation among young singles across the globe on boozy nights out. If I could construct the perfect man/woman they would have abs of steel, blonde hair and a tan? Or they would have the looks or Brangelina, the compassion of Ghandi, the sense of humour of Tina Fey.
If you do not possess all those qualities are you suffering from a "common malfunction"?
In "High Maintenance" a wife complains her husband lacks ambition and has no sense of adventure. She is seeking perfection rather than loving her companion unconditionally. It is a mistake men and women make everyday. Unrealistic expectations.
Watch the fill film of "High Maintenance" here:
High Maintenance
In "Berni's Doll", an animated film, a lonely man constructs a woman from cheap parts. The torso of the artificial woman is reminiscent of the original cover of Germain Greer's seminal feminist book The Female Eunuch. The themes of the film examine feminist theory like objectifying woman and female sexuality.
"Berni's Doll" trailer:
If you can track down a copy of "Berni's Doll" it is well worth a watch. It is a short film that really makes you think.
Some of Jann Douette's other animated short films are equally spectacular to look at.
The Faktory:
There were five short films in total, but two were particularly interesting. "High Maintenance" by Phillip Van (German, in English), and "Berni's Doll" by Yann Jouette (French) were both films that examined gender and the human condition by telling stories about robots.
Often stories about artificial human life can shed light on real human faults.
These short-films force you to ask yourself: What makes a man a man? What makes a woman a woman? Can you replicate the essence of gender from a box of mix-n-match parts? Can you form the perfect husband or wife from synthetic materials and be satisfied with what you create? Would the synthetic partner be happy with you?
These are not new concepts. We have seen the question raised in The Stepford Wives, Blade Runner, Edward Scissorhands, Terminator, A.I., Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica.
It is also a common speculation among young singles across the globe on boozy nights out. If I could construct the perfect man/woman they would have abs of steel, blonde hair and a tan? Or they would have the looks or Brangelina, the compassion of Ghandi, the sense of humour of Tina Fey.
If you do not possess all those qualities are you suffering from a "common malfunction"?
In "High Maintenance" a wife complains her husband lacks ambition and has no sense of adventure. She is seeking perfection rather than loving her companion unconditionally. It is a mistake men and women make everyday. Unrealistic expectations.
Watch the fill film of "High Maintenance" here:
High Maintenance
In "Berni's Doll", an animated film, a lonely man constructs a woman from cheap parts. The torso of the artificial woman is reminiscent of the original cover of Germain Greer's seminal feminist book The Female Eunuch. The themes of the film examine feminist theory like objectifying woman and female sexuality.
"Berni's Doll" trailer:
If you can track down a copy of "Berni's Doll" it is well worth a watch. It is a short film that really makes you think.
Some of Jann Douette's other animated short films are equally spectacular to look at.
The Faktory:
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
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SBS often has a good selection of alternative films free to air, its a great station to watch for a bit of foreign culture
i am fascinated by robots/androids etc
it was lucky i had the tv on at the right time
Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
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you can watch the full film of High Maintenance in the top video, unfortunately i could not locate the full video of Berni's Doll but if you ever see it e\advertised in your tv guide it is well worth staying up for
hi Norm,
its because we are the same person, we have the same taste