Film Interpretation

"The cinema, like the detective story. enables us to experience without danger to ourselves all the excitements, passions and fantasies which have to be repressed in a humanistic age." (CW 10, para. 195)
"...analysands go to the movies and movies take up residence in the mythic layers of their psyches and are therefore psychologically relevant to their lives." (Dougherty, 2002, p.200, in Hauke, 2002)

Applying our understanding of archetypes and complexes to the way we see films can enrich our film experiences. Why do we like certain films and not others? Why does a film contain a particular set of symbols and what does this say about the film-maker? Can we view a film in the same way we view dreams or fairy tales?

These and many other questions are at the heart of a Jungian approach to Film Interpretation. In these seminars we will review the core constructs of Analytical Psychology and apply them to a particular film. There is no previous knowledge or experience of Jung that is necessary as we start from the same point - we are attracted by something in a film and we want to discover what that is.

Please check the workshops and lectures link to see when the next film interpretation seminar is going to be held, or contact John at jbetts5@telus.net for more information.

If you would like a more advanced approach to film, based on pre-existing knowledge of Analytical Psychology, please contact John to arrange this. (jbetts5@telus.net)