Encounters – Jacques Rancière and Pedro Costa

During the ‘Emancipated Spectators’ event in The Hague, philosopher Jacques Rancière and filmmaker Pedro Costa will explore the democratic power of film. The two-day programme consists of film screenings, a discussion and a workshop.

Wat is Emancipated Spectators?

‘Emancipated Spectators’ is a two-day programme taking place at West Den Haag and Pathé Buitenhof. It centres on philosopher Jacques Rancière’s views on film, art and equality.

Rancière assumes that all people are equally intelligent. In his view, the key is to discover how another person’s intelligence works and to make room for a different way of seeing and thinking.

Film as a democratic art form

According to Rancière, film is a quintessentially democratic art form. Film can transform ordinary moments from everyday life, such as light falling on a table or a face, into an aesthetic experience.

By presenting everyday life in this way, art does not merely become accessible to everyone. According to Rancière, it also demonstrates that everyone has the capacity to view their own experiences and surroundings as an artist would.

Movies from Pedro Costa

Filmmaker Pedro Costa shares Rancière’s views on cinema. His films are understated and tranquil, giving people and places the space to tell their own stories. In these stories, the lasting consequences of colonialism play a significant role, particularly in the lives of people in vulnerable and marginalised positions.

Films by Pedro Costa will be screened during Emancipated Spectators. In addition, Jacques Rancière and Pedro Costa will be in conversation. Rancière has written extensively about Costa’s work.

The programme also includes an intensive workshop with Rancière on his works The Emancipated Spectator and Film Fables. In this way, the programme provides an opportunity to reflect on contemporary society, humanity and the role of art.

Practical information

Venues: West The Hague, the former US Embassy, Lange Voorhout 102, The Hague, and Pathé Buitenhof, Buitenhof 20, The Hague.