The Posthumous Phenomenology of the Star Biopic: Kristen Stewart as Jean Seberg

Friday, May 26
2:00 pm – 2:40 pm (CEST)
keynote speech


In her keynote speech, Lucy Bolton explores how star biopics evoke the living star through Seberg (2019), where Kristen Stewart plays Jean Seberg. She examines the physical and aesthetic differences between the actor and the star subject, and how they affect the viewer’s experience, while considering the phenomenological aspects of watching a biopic and how it might conjure up the past star.

The Face as Icon: Rethinking Pictorial Representation through Lévinas’ Concept of the Face

Friday, May 26
2:40 pm – 3:00 pm (CEST)


What does the face signify in terms of phenomenology and film? How does it transform into an icon? When does the excess become visible? Can we argue that these film representations are not solely concerned with replication? Alexandra Okanovic seeks answers in cinema—art form most often criticized for its representational nature and perceived imitation of reality.

The Language of Film

Friday, May 26
3:00 pm – 3:20 pm (CEST)


In “The Language of Film,” Nemanja Mićić explores film as yet another story-making medium, and argues for a move beyond the hermeneutic principle of “merging of horizons” (Horizontverschmelzung) toward Geschichtenverschmelzung, “merging of stories.”