ENACTIVE CINEMA SIMULATORIUM EisensteinEnse Pia Tikka For Urpo Tikka in memoriam and Ulla Tikka How sheer the threads entangled woven in this instance a mesh of being Publication Series of the University of Art and Design Helsinki A 89 www.taik.fi/bookshop © Pia Tikka Graphic Design and the ‘inkspot’ images: Hanna Siira Photographs by the author, unless stated otherwise. Drawings by Eisenstein, reproduced here by the courtesy of “International Eisenstein- Centre” and Eisenstein Memorial Flat of State Central Cinema Museum (Moscow). ISBn 978-951-558-272-0 ISSn 0782-1832 Gummerus Printing Printed in Jyväskylä, Finland 2008 ENACTIVE CINEMA SIMULATORIUM EisensteinEnse Pia Tikka COntents ACkNowlEdgEMENTs 11 FuNdINg CrEdITs 15 1 PrEludIuM 17 2 sTArTINg PoINTs 23 2.1 Eisenstein again? 24 2.2 Author’S poinT of view On cinema 27 2.3 Epistemological grounds 30 2.4 Holistic minD 33 2.5 CognitivE viewS On cinema 35 2.6 MeetinG currenT challenges to cinema 37 3 METhods 41 3.1 Parachronic method 42 3.2 Simulation method 44 4 EIsENsTEIN rEVIsITEd 47 4.1 On the path TOwARDS holistic montage 48 4.1.1 Book projects 49 4.1.2 Retrospect to montage of conflicts 1923-1929 52 4.1.3 vertical montage 56 4.1.4 Summary 59 4.2 Intellectual Environment 59 4.2.1 Political situatedness 61 4.2.2 Early systemic thinking 66 4.2.3 Summary 80 4.3 MInD EngineerinG 81 4.3.1 Reflexology 82 4.3.2 Expressive manifestation 84 4.3.3 Dialectics in psychology 99 4.3.4 Unconsciousness 107 4.3.5 Gestalt psychology 121 4.3.6 Socio-linguistic psychology 128 6.1.3 Intersubjective level: Eisensteinian 4.3.7 Philosophy of Symbolic Forms 136 ‘attitude’ towards the emergent theme 253 4.3.8 Summary 140 6.2 Simulatorium In practice: emergence 4.4 Evolution of core ideas 141 OF ‘forms’ as montage 259 4.4.1 Speech of 1935 141 6.2.1 Case: Enactive cinema installation Obsession 261 4.4.2 Embodiment of emotional theme 144 6.2.2 Implications: Emergent landscape model 272 4.4.3 Summary 151 6.2.3 Generalization: Enactive cinema as 4.5 ImplicationS for research framinG 152 complex dynamical system 277 6.3 ImplicationS for authorship 280 5 EIsENsTEIN ExTrAPolated 155 5.1 Systemic theories 156 7 CoNClusIoNs 283 5.1.1 Cybernetics and systems theories 157 7.1 nATURALIzation of CInema 284 5.1.2 Autopoiesis 159 7.1.1 Mirroring the other 285 5.1.3 Dynamic pattern theory 161 7.1.2 Perspective to the author’s self 286 5.1.4 Summary 165 7.2 SeconD-order authorship 287 5.2 nATURALIzation of the minD 166 7.3 MeetinG the challenges of future cinema 288 5.2.1 Philosophical roots of naturalization 167 5.2.2 Common grounds of the naturalization approaches 171 8 PosTludIuM 291 5.2.3 Dynamical line of naturalization 173 5.2.4 naturalization of emotions 191 9 APPENdICEs 297 5.3 Dynamics of the organic minD 200 9.1 The project ObsessiOn 297 5.3.1 Organic ‘synesthetic’ sensemaking 200 9.1.1 Appendix 1. Team credits 297 5.3.2 Organic intersubjectivity 220 9.1.2 Appendix 2. Technical descriptions 299 5.3.3 Summary 235 5.4 ImplicationS for further elaboration 235 10 rEFErENCEs 303 5.4.1 Implications for modeling the author’s mind 234 10.1 References of Eisenstein’S Own writings 303 5.4.2 Implications for montage of interactive cinema 237 10.1.1 Books 303 5.4.3 Implications for epistemology 240 10.1.2 Essays 304 10.2 References 305 6 sIMulatorIuM EIsENsTEINENsE 243 10.3 Secondary references 323 6.1 Embodied simulatorium: ‘organic’ PERSPECTIvE On self AnD the other 245 INdEx oF NAMEs ANd kEYwords 333 6.1.1 Sub-subjective level: Underpinnings of Eisensteinian ‘emotional theme’ 246 6.1.2 Subjective level: Eisensteinian ‘feel’ in creative sensemaking 249 10 EnACTIvE CInEMA EnACTIvE CInEMA 11 ACknOwledgements I’ve imagined myself as a sculptor – carving out of the world an object that I ‘feel’ fulfills the idea of a virtual synthesis of arts and sciences. This process has involved many people, to whom I owe the most sincere and thankful credits. The notions below are composed with respect to the same ‘feel’, now looking back from the present towards the beginning of this journey. As it has been a long way, some of them are no longer here to be accredited. When my father Urpo still was around, our daily long-distance con- versations often related to my ongoing work. His lifelong expertise as an oncologist never overrode his amazement of the mysterious interplay between the organizational purposefulness of the human body and the cognitive powers of the human mind. Urpo’s great admiration of life pro- foundly affected my thinking. Among the first in the row of the honoured is my mother Ulla Tikka, whose loving care in my childhood has gradu- ally morphed into the inspiring and intellectual partnership of today. I want to express my gratitude to Mika Kaurismäki, the pioneer of the new wave of Finnish cinema whose cinematic visions and moving cam- era have illustrated to me the true meaning of the word ‘cinematogra- phy’. Without learning by daring, together with the late Matti Pellonpää, Samuel Fuller, in memoriam, Christa Fuller, Sara Driver, Jim Jarmusch, Aki Kaurismäki, Peter von Bagh, Julie Baines, Jacques Cheuiche, Timo Salminen, Martti Syrjä, Anssi Tikanmäki, Kirsi Tykkyläinen, and Kari Väänänen, among others associated with Mika’s films, I would not be the filmmaker I am today. 12 EnACTIvE CInEMA EnACTIvE CInEMA 13 My interest in what goes on in the creative processes of a cinema- portant contribution to this work as the proofreader of my manuscript tographer when the camera is running led me towards the study of the written in a language not my mother tongue. human mind in the process of imagination. This motivated me to look Henry Bacon, Greg M. Smith, and many other film scholars associ- for relations between the arts and the domains of consciousness studies, ated with the international Society for Cognitive Studies of the Mov- emotion theories, cognitive sciences, and the neural correlates of mental ing Image provided a supportive framework in the early stage of my phenomena. research. In the later phases I received much valuable advice and hints The next step was to shift from the dualist perspective of seeing the from a number of top-level experts related in some way or another brain and body as independent apparata towards considering mind and to Eisenstein or his era, including Oksana Bulgakowa, Naum Kleiman, body as an organic unity. I recognize this as my holistic enlightenment, Lev Manovich, Ilmari Susiluoto, Vesa Oittinen, and Craig Brandist. As for which I am deeply indebted to the philosophical discussions with to a different area of expertise, I am grateful to Niklas Ravaja at the my theoretical tutor Mauri Kaipainen. I’m grateful to my artistic tutors M.I.N.D Lab at the Centre for Knowledge and Innovation Research Pirjo Honkasalo and Maureen Thomas, whose professional expertise (CKIR) and Vasily Klucharev at the Laboratory of Computational encouraged me to be faithful to my artistic ambitions as a filmmaker. I Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology, for generously shar- have been exceptionally lucky to encounter such enthusiastic and high- ing their understanding about the psycho-physiological basis of human ly qualified tutors who provided me with abundant tools for negotiating emotions. In the final stage academy professor Riitta Hari devoted her the borderline between theory and practice. I appreciate the critical re- time and energy to the discussions on the neuroscientific aspects of the marks of my pre-examiners Kathrin Fahlenbrach, Torben Grodal, and research, in an insightful and dedicated manner. Martin Rieser, all of whom also emphasized the importance of connect- I’m proud to credit the film and installation team of Obsession, ing art practice and theory. I will highly value the commitment of my including Rasmus Vuori, Joonas Juutilainen, Minna Nurminen, Pau- honourable opponent Steve Anderson in evaluating my work. liina Ståhlberg, Harri Räty, Markku Pätilä, Mauri Kaipainen, together While there were many of those who felt that doing academic re- with my actors Maria Järvenhelmi, Matti Onnismaa, and Maija Junno, search on interactive cinema equaled selling your soul to the devil, among others. The complete credits associated with the production there were also many who gave me a helping hand. The former director are attached as an appendix to this volume, referring to numerous, Eeva Kurki of the Graduate School of Audiovisual Media stands among equally important contributors. In particular, I want to mention the the first, with her generous and long-sighted advice. I found precious three generations of the Jyrälä family who contributed to the making of collegial support and technical help from the always-enthusiastic peo- Obsession, including the long-careered film sound designer Paul ‘Pap- ple of the Media Lab. With the Crucible Studio under the direction of pa’ Jyrälä, in memoriam, his son Joonas Jyrälä as the principal sound Mika Tuomola I shared a determined drive for artistic, conceptual, and designer, and Pappa’s grand-daughter Lumitähti Jyrälä who only two methodological discoveries in the open horizon of audiovisual interac- weeks after her birth already had a central role in Obsession. For guid- tive media. ing Obsession ‘from Film to Digital’ I want to tip my hat to my long-tem In his position at the time as the director of the School of Motion collaborators Timo Nousiainen and Martti Ylöstalo.