<nettime> Segmund

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

Segmund


Everything I've ever thought or done has gone into this movie. This movie
is that political movie situated between Dreyer and Godard, no, between
Bergmann and Godard. For there has to be Godard. Even now, a film which
passes Godard, obliterates reference to cinema. But a serious film. Well,
a video. But a serious video that obliterates film. For there is nothing
that film does that video cannot do. There is nothing that cinema does.
Well, there is nothing that cinema does anymore.

The imaginary, a signifier. So a signifier of dead theory. Well, theory on
the cusp, that is, before networking. Or theory which is networked, but
not about networks. Theory on the verge, on the lip, but not on the
threshold, theory before, that is theory prior to, the threshold. Not an
imaginary signifier but an imagined signifier.

What is it that people speak about, in these days of dead-film, dead-
cinema? It is not what people spoke about. Cinema is what they spoke
about. Cinema is history, networking is speaking, video is what they speak
about. Listen to a conversation, well it is not the same conversation, it
is always already a future anterior, already a dead conversation, people
speaking from the dead. Among living networks, video, living performance,
organisms. The dead are a carapace on the living. Cinema is popular, is
always popular, if not film, the enormous screen, eye, darkened theater,
imagination, comfort of infinite speakers.

What is, is already superceded, therefore what is, is not. What is, is
signified, temporarily, momentarily. One might consider an instantiation.
What is, instantiates. What is, the speech of speech. Not the speaking,
well, what is speaking but the past? But the past of everything, every
flow, every moment, organism? Or perhaps worlding?

Well, there are no worlds, no whirled, no words, no, worlding shudders,
disappears against the storm. Of the storm, one thinks. Of the storm,
tsunami, charred bodies, flooded bones, smashed tissue, exploded organs.
Of the storm of the future anterior which is, which is always already will
not come, has come.

Of a short segment of passing time:

http://www.asondheim.org/polywat.mov


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