Frenchman Guy Debord was the leading figure as well as the most well-known theorist of the Situationist International (L’internationale situationniste). His 1967 book, The Society of the Spectacle (La société du spectacle), became the movement’s core text. At the heart of the book’s critique was Debord’s theory that the society of the spectacle alienates people from themselves as well as from real life.
In addition to his other activities, Debord produced six astoundingly diverse films which have rarely been seen – even in his native country. When Debord’s friend, the producer Gérard Lebovici, was murdered under unclear circumstances in 1984, Debord pulled all of his films from distribution. After years of waiting, these films can now be seen on new 35 mm copies. Debord’s films are not works of the art in the traditional sense, acting rather more as revolutionary provocations.
Debord’s first film, Howls for Sade (1952), confused viewers with its unconventional approach: no representational images can be seen, just black, white and the speech of five characters. Other Debord films feature bricolages of images – photographs, news clips, commercials, entire passages from other films and fragmented episodes shot by Debord himself. The use of these was dictated by the détournement principle. The Situationists have defined it as “communication which contains its own critique”. The very images that the society of the spectacle uses to present itself are turned against it.
La Société du spectacle (1973), based on Debord’s own texts, is a melancholy synthesis of his ideas. It acts as a eulogy, written at some undetermined point in the future, for a booming 20th century society. The film depicts the illusions of consumer society by juxtaposing advertising, militarism, political agitation and classic cinema. The work does more than offer politically charged commentary. Instead, it is an all-encompassing critique directed against the entire world.
Guy Debord’s films will be shown at the Cinema Orion (Eerikinkatu 15, tel. +358 9 61540201). Tickets are €4 for each showing. All movies have subtitles in English. For the Guy Debord seminar on Saturday, admission is free.
Friday, 14 November
7 p.m. Guy Debord 1
Hurlements en faveur de Sade / Howls for Sade (1952, 75 min)
9 p.m. Guy Debord 2
Sur le passage de quelques personnes à travers une assez courte unité de temps / On
the Passage of a Few Persons Through a Rather Brief Unity of Time (1959, 18 min)
Critique de la Séparation / Critique of Separation (1961, 19 min)
Réfutation de tous les jugements tant élogieux qu’hostiles qui ont été portés jusqu’ici
sur le film ”La Société du Spectacle” / Refutation of All the Judgments, Pro or Con,
Thus Far Rendered on the Film “The Society of the Spectacle” (1975, 20 min)
Total running time: 57 min.
Saturday 15 November
2 – 4 p.m. Guy Debord seminar [in Finnish]
Debord’s Shadow: What does Debord have to give to the 21st century?
Tiina Purhonen, Helena Sederholm, Tommi Uschanov and Jussi Vähämäki
Moderators: Pekka Luhta and Kari Yli-Annala
5 p.m. Guy Debord 3
La Société du Spectacle / The Society of the Spectacle (1973, 90 min)
18:45 NOTE! SCREENING TIME UPDATED Guy Debord 4
In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni / We Turn in the Night, Consumed by Fire
(1978, 105 min)