To watch... perhaps to dream. Do all films immerse us in a dream world? Do films embody dreams and, if so, whose? Directors, actors, and viewers all collude in creating the dreamy movie-watching experience. We’ll first take up the dream theories of Freud and Jung, before dissecting the science of studying sleep. Finally, we’ll weigh and measure debates on the evolutionary purpose of dreams. Our chosen films include films as dreams, films that can be interpreted as dreams, and films about people talking about their dreams. Michael Walsh’s film dream exploration may even infiltrate your own REM time. We’ll see.
Michael Walsh, professor of cinema, will venture into the dream world in cinema as depicted in four films: Dreams (Akira Kurosawa, US/Japan, 1990); Open Your Eyes (Alejandro Amenabar, Spain, 1997); Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, US, 2001); Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, US, 1999).
Mondays: Jan. 22 & 29 and Feb. 5 & 12 | 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Hillyer Hall 303 (film projection room) | $80
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Faculty and staff are eligible to take one Presidents' College lecture for free every semester, or to receive a one-session discount ($20) for a longer course. Contact Laurie Fasciano at fasciano@hartford.edu or 860.768.4495.