cccVoice1(maleprofessionalannouncertype)Thisneighborhood(1)wasmadeforthewretcheddignityofthepettybourgeoisie,forrespectableoccupationsandintellectualtourism.Thesedentarypopulationoftheupperfloorswasshelteredfromtheinfluencesofthestreet.Thisneighborhoodhasremainedthesame.Itwasthestrangesettingofourstory,whereasystematicquestioningofallthediversionsandworksofasociety,atotalcritiqueofitsideaofhappiness,wasexpressedinacts. Thesepeoplealsoscornedsubjectiveprofundity.Theywereinterestedinnothingbutanadequateandconcreteexpressionofthemselves. Voice2(Debord,monotone)Humanbeingsarenotfullyconsciousoftheirreallife-usuallygropinginthedark;overwhelmedbytheconsequencesoftheiracts;ateverymomentgroupsandindividualsfindthemselvesconfrontedwithresultstheyhavenotwished. Voice1Theysaidthatoblivionwastheirrulingpassion.Theywantedtoreinventeverythingeachday;tobecomethemastersandpossessorsoftheirownlives. Justasonedoesnotjudgeamanaccordingtotheconceptionhehasofhimself,onecannotjudgesuchperiodsoftransitionaccordingtotheirownconsciousness;onthecontrary,onemustexplaintheconsciousnessthroughthecontradictionsofmateriallife,throughtheconflictbetweensocialconditionsandtheforcesofsocialproduction. Theprogressachievedinthedominationofnaturewasnotyetmatchedbyacorrespondingliberationofeverydaylife.Youthpassedawayamongthevariouscontrolsofresignation. Ourcamerahascapturedforyouafewaspectsofaprovisionalmicrosociety. Theknowledgeofempiricalfactsremainsabstractandsuperficialaslongasitisnotconcretizedbyitsintegrationintothewhole”whichalonepermitsthesupersessionofpartialandabstractproblemssoastoarriveattheirconcreteessence,andimplicitlyattheirmeaning. Thisgroupwasonthemarginsoftheeconomy.Ittendedtowardaroleofpureconsumption,andfirstofallthefreeconsumptionofitstime.Itthusfounditselfdirectlyengagedinqualitativevariationsofeverydaylifebutdeprivedofanymeanstointerveneinthem. Thegrouprangedoveraverysmallarea.Thesametimesbroughtthembacktothesameplaces.Noonewenttobedearly.Discussiononthemeaningofallthiscontinued... Voice2Ourlifeisajourney”Inthewinterandthenight.”Weseekourpassage...� Voice1Theabandonedliteratureneverthelessexertedadelayingactiononnewaffectiveformulations. Voice2Therewasthefatigueandthecoldofthemorninginthismuch-traversedlabyrinth,likeanenigmathatwehadtoresolve.Itwasalooking-glassrealitythroughwhichwehadtodiscoverthepotentialrichnessofreality. Onthebankoftherivereveningbeganonceagain;andcaresses;andtheimportanceofaworldwithoutimportance.Justastheeyeshaveablurredvisionofmanythingsandcanseeonlyoneclearly,sothewillcanstriveonlyincompletelytowarddiverseobjectsandcancompletelyloveonlyoneatatime. Voice3(younggirl)Noonecountedonthefuture.Itwouldneverbepossibletobetogetherlater,oranywhereelse.Therewouldneverbeagreaterfreedom. Voice1Therefusaloftimeandofgrowingoldautomaticallylimitedencountersinthisnarrow,contingentzone,wherewhatwaslackingwasfeltasirreparable.Theextremeprecariousnessofthemeansofgettingbywithoutworkingwasattherootofthisimpatiencewhichmadeexcessesnecessaryandbreaksdefinitive. Voice2Oneneverreallycontestsanorganizationofexistencewithoutcontestingallofthatorganization'sformsoflanguage. Voice1Whenfreedomispracticedinaclosedcircle,itfadesintoadream,becomesamererepresentationofitself.Theambianceofplayisbynatureunstable.Atanymomentordinarylife�canprevailonceagain.Thegeographicallimitationofplayisevenmorestrikingthanitstemporallimitation.Anygametakesplacewithinthecontoursofitsspatialdomain.Aroundtheneighborhood,arounditsfleetingandthreatenedimmobility,stretchedahalf-knowncitywherepeoplemetonlybychance,losingtheirwayforever. Thegirlswhofoundtheirwaythere,becausetheywerelegallyunderthecontroloftheirfamiliesuntiltheageofeighteen,wereoftenrecapturedbythedefendersofthatdetestableinstitution.Theyweregenerallyconfinedundertheguardofthosecreatureswhoamongallthebadproductsofabadsocietyarethemostuglyandrepugnantnuns. Whatusuallymakesdocumentariessoeasytounderstandisthearbitrarylimitationoftheirsubjectmatter.Theydescribetheatomizationofsocialfunctionsandtheisolationoftheirproducts.Onecan,incontrast,envisagetheentirecomplexityofamomentwhichisnotresolvedintoawork,amomentwhosemovementindissolublycontainsfactsandvaluesandwhosemeaningdoesnotyetappear.Thesubjectmatterofthedocumentarywouldthenbethisconfusedtotality. Voice2Theerahadarrivedatalevelofknowledgeandtechnicalmeansthatmadepossible,andincreasinglynecessary,adirectconstructionofallaspectsofaliberatedaffectiveandpracticalexistence.Theappearanceofthesesuperiormeansofaction,stillunusedbecauseofthedelaysintheprojectofliquidatingthecommodityeconomy,hadalreadycondemnedaestheticactivity,whoseambitionsandpowerswerebothoutdated.Thedecayofartandofallthevaluesofformermoreshadformedoursociologicalbackground.Therulingclass'smonopolyovertheinstrumentsweneededtocontrolinordertorealizethecollectiveartofourtimehadexcludedusfromaculturalproductionofficiallydevotedtoillustratingandrepeatingthepast.Anartfilmonthisgenerationcanonlybeafilmonitsabsenceofrealcreations. Everyoneunthinkinglyfollowedthepathslearnedonceandforall,totheirworkandtheirhome,totheirpredictablefuture.Forthemdutyhadalreadybecomeahabit,andhabitaduty.Theydidnotseethedeficiencyoftheircity.Theythoughtthedeficiencyoftheirlifewasnatural.Wewantedtobreakoutofthisconditioning,inquestofanotheruseoftheurbanlandscape,inquestofnewpassions.Theatmosphereofafewplacesgaveusintimationsofthefuturepowersofanarchitectureitwouldbenecessarytocreatetobethesupportandframeworkforlessmediocregames.Wecouldexpectnothingofanythingwehadnotourselvesaltered.Theurbanenvironmentproclaimedtheordersandtastesoftherulingsocietyjustasviolentlyasthenewspapers.Itismanwhomakestheunityoftheworld,butmanhasextendedhimselfeverywhere.Peoplecanseenothingaroundthemthatisnottheirownimage;everythingspeakstothemofthemselves.Theirverylandscapeisalive.Therewereobstacleseverywhere.Therewasacohesionintheobstaclesofalltypes.Theymaintainedthecoherentreignofpoverty.Everythingbeingconnected,itwasnecessarytochangeeverythingbyaunitarystruggle,ornothing.Itwasnecessarytolinkupwiththemasses,butweweresurroundedbysleep. Voice3Thedictatorshipoftheproletariatisadesperatestruggle,bloodyandbloodless,violentandpeaceful,militaryandeconomic,educationalandadministrative,againsttheforcesandtraditionsoftheoldworld. Voice1Inthiscountryitisonceagainthemenoforderwhohaverebelled.Theyhavereinforcedtheirpower.Theyhavebeenabletoaggravatethegrotesquenessoftherulingconditionsaccordingtotheirwill.Theyhaveembellishedtheirsystemwiththefunerealceremoniesofthepast. Voice2Years,likeasingleinstantprolongedtothispoint,cometoanend. Voice1Whatwasdirectlylivedreappearsfrozeninthedistance,fitintothetastesandillusionsofanera,carriedawaywithit. Voice2Theappearanceofeventsthatwehavenotmade,thatothershavemadeagainstus,nowobligesustobeawareofthepassageoftime,itsresults,thetransformationofourowndesiresintoevents.Whatdifferentiatesthepastfromthepresentispreciselyitsout-of-reachobjectivity;thereisnomoreshould-be;beingissoconsumedthatithasceasedtoexist.Thedetailsarealreadylostinthedustoftime.Whowasafraidoflife,afraidofthenight,afraidofbeingtaken,afraidofbeingkept Voice3Whatshouldbeabolishedcontinues,andwecontinuetowearawaywithit.Weareengulfed.Weareseparated.Theyearspassandwehaven'tchangedanything. Voice2Onceagainmorninginthesamestreets.Onceagainthefatigueofsomanysimilarlypassednights.Itisawalkthathaslastedalongtime. Voice1Reallyhardtodrinkmore. Voice2Ofcourseonemightmakeafilmofit.Butevenifsuchafilmsucceedsinbeingasfundamentallydisconnectedandunsatisfyingastherealityitdealswith,itwillneverbemorethanare-creation”poorandfalselikethisbotchedtravelingshot. Voice3Therearenowpeoplewhopridethemselvesonbeingauthorsoffilms,asotherswereauthorsofnovels.Theyareevenmorebackwardthanthenovelistsbecausetheyareunawareofthedecompositionandexhaustionofindividualexpressioninourtime,ignorantoftheendoftheartsofpassivity.Theyarepraisedfortheirsinceritysincetheydramatize,withmorepersonaldepth,theconventionsofwhichtheirlifeconsists.Thereistalkoftheliberationofthecinema.ButwhatdoesitmattertousifonemoreartisliberatedthroughwhichTom,DickorHarrycanjoyouslyexpresstheirslavishsentimentsTheonlyinterestingventureistheliberationofeverydaylife,notonlyintheperspectivesofhistorybutforusandrightaway.Thisentailsthewitheringawayofalienatedformsofcommunication.Thecinema,too,hastobedestroyed. Voice2Inthefinalanalysis,starsarecreatedbytheneedwehaveforthem,andnotbytheirtalentorlackoftalentorevenbythefilmindustryoradvertising.Miserableneed,dismal,anonymouslifethatwouldliketoexpanditselftothedimensionsofcinemalife.Theimaginarylifeonthescreenistheproductofthisrealneed.Thestaristheprojectionofthisneed. Theimagesoftheadvertisementsduringtheintermissionsaremoresuitedthananyothersforevokinganintermissionoflife. Toreallydescribethiseraitwouldnodoubtbenecessarytoshowmanyotherthings.Butwhatwouldbethepoint Bettertograspthetotalityofwhathasbeendoneandwhatremainstobedonethantoaddmoreruinstotheoldworldofthespectacleandofmemories. 1.Thisfilm,whichevokesthelettristexperiencesattheoriginofthesituationistmovement,openswithshotsoftheParisdistrictfrequentedbythelettristsintheearly1950s.
