Discussion with Filmmaker Astra Taylor
ZIZEK! is a feature documentary work-in-progress exploring the eccentric personality and esoteric work of the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek, directed by Astra Taylor and produced by Lawrence Konner and the Documentary Campaign. One of the most prominent theorists working today, Zizek has been called "an academic rock star" and the "wild man of theory." From New York City to London, Buenos Aires to his home in Ljubljana, the film follows the thinker as he reveals the invisible workings of ideology through his unique blend of Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxism, and critique of pop culture. As he travels the world, Zizek never stops philosophizing. Over the course of the film, little goes untheorized, particularly Zizek's recurring themes -- ideology, psychoanalysis, politics, revolution, Marxism, religion, love, and the history of philosophy. But he is also unafraid to turn his critical gaze on himself, astutely analyzing his private life for the camera, offering cutting commentary on his personality and dissecting his conflicted relationship to his growing celebrity. Footage of impromptu observations on street corners and sit-down interviews centering on his central counterintuitive critiques are combined with animated passages from Zizek's main texts, giving the viewer a thorough -- and thoroughly entertaining -- overview of his ideas.
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