The Afterimage of Violence : Frames and Responsiveness in the Three Films Also Known as Jihadi, Umdrehen and When Things Occur

Abstract: Abstract The Afterimage of Violence: Frames and Responsiveness in the Three Films Also Known as Jihadi, Umdrehen and When Things Occur This thesis explores the intersection of aesthetics, ethics, and politics in relation to artistic strategies that confront political violence in artistic lens-based media. It aims to expand understandings of the possibilities and limitations of depicting violent real-world events and investigates how images of violence elicit responses from viewers. This study focuses on three art films—Also Known as Jihadi (2017), Umdrehen (2022), and When Things Occur (2016)—that grapple with different instances of violence, examining their affective, embodied, and non-representational perspectives. The films are analyzed through a triangulation of Jacques Rancière's concept of the "distribution of the sensible," Judith Butler's notion of the frame, and Jill Bennett's idea of the transactive potential harbored in artworks. Drawing on Butler's question regarding the norms that govern which lives are recognized as human and worthy of protection, the thesis argues that the three art films function as afterimages of violence, which orchestrate affective responses and ethical engagement with the suffering of others. The analysis delves into the artistic strategies employed by the films to generate a more nuanced understanding of political violence, highlighting the interplay between cognitive associations, affective forces, and embodied perception. It explores the relationship between representation and responsiveness, investigating how art can disrupt established notions and judgments surrounding violent events and the lives affected by them. By analyzing the three selected films, the thesis articulates how art can generate critical engagement with political violence and cultivate empathic concern. The research aims to contribute to a broader understanding of the aesthetic and ethical implications of representing violence, emphasizing the potential of art to transform perceptions, foster new modes of seeing, and engender ethical responses.