The Possibility of “Happening of Truth” in Film Art in Heidegger’s Way of Thinking

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract

Abstract
In this essay, happening of truth, as one of the most influential concepts of Heideggerian thought, and also
its occurrence in the work of art especially film art, is meditated on and it is showed that how the concept
of strife between concealment and unconcealment in the work of art, or a strife between world and earth-as
Heidegger called it- in opposition to Cartesian dichotomy between subject and object, removes the domination
of the audience over the film. Because in this approach audience is nevermore the subject positioning the
film as the object of its consciousness, rather in an encounter with film as a way of happening and also
via interpretation of the film, the audience contributes in revealing of truth in the film. The dwelling of the
audience enables the POIESIS and makes the “happening” a poetical experience. We followed Heideggerian
thought in considering “happening” in film in relation to the painting “A Pair of Shoes” by Vincent Van
Gogh, since the language of images in film, at first, refers to Heidegger’s ideas in the »Origin of the Work of
Art«. Thus, film interpretation refers to the “worlding of the earth”. The audience carries this interpretation
to the ontological level in some respects. First, audience is the one who not only watches the images of film,
but also preserves the “happening of truth”. In other words, without the audience, the WORLD does not
unconceal itself, since there would not be anyone to interpret what audience sees. Thus, it slowly retreats
from ontic investigation, since there is no reference point from which to categorize the conventions of
both philosophy and art. Put simply, the “happening” cannot point to any source of reference, neither can
interpretation. Second, significance is attributed to the film itself since, like the temple revealing in the earth
or ground, the WORLD opened to audience interpretation dwells in the images of film, i.e., it is grounded
in the film. The third way in which the audience brings interpretation to ontological level of analysis is
through the audience. The audience is the preserver and witness to the unconcealment itself, thus taking
part in the unconcealment of truth. The experience leads the audience to its own ontological investigation of
understanding of the film, since every interpretation refers the audience back to an understanding of itself.
This interpretation, constituted in the history of film theory, thus exceeds itself with the idea of interpretation
in the Heideggerian sense. This interpretation also indicates the possibility of “being-in-the-world”. It opens
the possibility itself since DASEIN refers to the possibility of existence. Hermeneutic Phenomenology, as our
methodology, helps us to find out how film-viewing experience and encounter with it leads the audience to its
own ontological investigation of understanding of the film, since every interpretation refers the audience back
to an understanding of itself as Dasein-in-the-world, as an active engaged actor other than a mere observer
inside the arena of Cartesian idea of calculative thinking and detached from being-in-the-world.

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References

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