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Buttons of Consciousness

director: Jan Šípek

original title: Tlačítka bdělosti

country: Czech Republic

year: 2015

running time: 87 min.

synopsis

A meditative film explores the effects that examining consciousness and a microscopic view of one’s inner self have on the rationalism that scientists are expected to have. Even though each has a different approach, a physicist and an economist have similar, indescribable experiences, which they can only show through ‘reflections’. Efforts to change a flat map into an actual landscape lead to an unaffected re-examination of the foundations of our society, in which the myth of objectivity often covers up the manipulation of the powers-that-be, and the desire for deeper knowledge may be the driving force for the military industrial complex just as much as for getting a degree.

DETAIL:
“The science can’t describe the way a person who cools off in this water at the end of a hot day feels or the paradox of the icicle, but it can describe the chemical composition of the icicle, the water temperature, the humidity, and so forth.” “And is that good for anything?” “But certainly… ”

biography

Jan Šípek studied documentary film at FAMU. His short films include Anima (2006) and You are That (2007, introduced at the Jihlava IDFF). His first feature length documentary, Fighting the Brain, received a special mention under the Czech Joy section at the Jihlava IDFF in 2009. He has made Failure (2011) and Beer Talks (2014) for Czech television. In addition to his directing work, he is also a cinematographer, has worked in radio, and contributes to the biweekly cultural periodical A2.

more about film

director:	Jan Šípek
cast:	Jan Burian, Pavel Ctibor
producer:	Anna Lísalová
script:	Jan Šípek
photography:	Jan Šípek
editing:	Adam Brothánek
music:	Pavel Ctibor
sound:	Veronika Bartošová, Eliška Blauberová

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