Session Three: Editing, Memory, and Moral Attention
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Directed by Michel Gondry
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind uses editing as a direct expression of memory and emotional loss. Through fragmented chronology, overlapping sound, and fluid transitions between past and present, the film immerses us in the subjective experience of remembering—and forgetting. Editing and sound do not simply illustrate the story; they are the story, shaping how intimacy, regret, and longing are felt rather than explained.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 · 7:30 PM (PT) · Live on Zoom
Our third session moves into contemporary cinema, examining how editing and sound shape memory, perception, and ethical engagement. These films ask us not just to follow a story, but to actively participate—reconstructing events, questioning perspective, and reflecting on what it means to watch attentively.
The discussion focuses on the viewer’s experience: how fragmentation, duration, sound cues, and silence guide emotional understanding and moral awareness, often without clear narrative signposts.
Caché (2005)
Directed by Michael Haneke
(Michael Haneke won Best Director at Cannes)
Caché adopts an opposing strategy: long takes, minimal cutting, and an austere soundscape that refuses emotional guidance. By withholding editorial cues and blurring the line between surveillance footage and narrative image, the film forces the viewer into an uneasy position of attention and responsibility. Sound, silence, and duration become tools of moral pressure, implicating the act of watching itself.