Stardust: Cinematic Archives at the End of the World

The advent of cinema coincided with significant developments in astronomy and astrophysics, leading to new understandings of time and the cosmos. Stardust explores the aesthetic, philosophical, and technological parallels between these fields, using a "cosmocinematic gaze" to posit new understandings of cinematic time and underscore the role of light in generating archives for an uncertain future. It surveys a broad range of works, including silent-era educational films, avant-garde experimental works, and contemporary blockbusters, to explore films that reckon with a future in which humans are absent. This expansive study details the shared affinities between cinema and the stars to demonstrate how filmmakers have used cosmic imagery and themes to respond to the twentieth century's moments of existential dread.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 17 April 2024
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

  The advent of cinema coincided with significant advancements in astronomy and astrophysics, including Albert Einstein's theories of relativity, which fundamentally transformed our understanding of time and provided new perspectives on the boundaries of our world. Exploring the numerous aesthetic, philosophical, and technological similarities between these fields, Stardust delves into how cinema has frequently turned to the cosmos to reflect our collective anxiety about a universe without us. Employing a "cosmocinematic gaze," Hannah Goodwin employs the metaphorical frameworks of astronomy to propose novel interpretations of cinematic time and emphasize the role of light in creating archives for an uncertain future. Surveying a diverse range of works, including silent-era educational films, avant-garde experimental works, and contemporary blockbusters, she establishes a unique area of film analysis that extends far beyond mainstream science fiction to explore films that grapple with a future devoid of humans. This comprehensive study highlights the shared affinities between cinema and the stars, demonstrating how filmmakers have employed cosmic imagery and themes to respond to the twentieth century's existential crises, from World War I to the atomic age to our current moment of environmental collapse. As our perspective on the future continues to evolve, Stardust sheds light on cinema's potential to bear witness to humanity's fragile existence within the vast expanse of the universe.

Weight: 255g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517916503