Bert Olivier

In my last post, I placed Cameron’s Avatar in the interpretive framework of eco-political thought and practice. One could approach it in different ways, too, of course, one of which is to look at its interesting configuration of the relation between myth and science, which is also related to what I said before about the […]

James Cameron’s latest film, Avatar, is, as far as I can judge, a highly significant film, at least as important as the first two Terminator films (and in a related sense, Titanic) directed by him. It has been criticised in various quarters as just another maudlin love story (it recalls the story of Pocahontas, among […]

In my previous post I said that one has to go further (as Kierkegaard himself went further) than the two Kierkegaardian models discussed earlier. More specifically, in the last section of Either/or, II — entitled “Ultimatum”, which consists largely of a “sermon” (supposedly by a pastor-friend of Judge William) with the heading, “The edification implied […]

In my previous post, I reconstructed Kierkegaard’s aesthetic model for existence briefly, pointing out the implications this way of living has for human relationships and for one’s sense of identity. This is not unproblematic, of course. Hence the rejoinder, on Kierkegaard’s part, to the implicit claims made by the pseudonymous A in praise of the […]

In Either/Or, Volumes I and II, Kierkegaard constructs different models of human existence. They seem to be primarily intended by him as mirrors in which his readers may recognise themselves, or as fictions which could function as indications of different ways in which individuals may live their lives, with a view to highlighting the implications […]

So much for dubbing Copenhagen Hopenhagen at the recent UN world climate change conference — judging by the lukewarm “accord” that was finally “accepted”, the hope was disappointed. Just how serious this failure to arrive at a strong, international, legally binding agreement really is, is difficult to over-emphasise. What it demonstrates is the accuracy of […]

I know, I know. I’m on about film again. It’s sort of inevitable, if one happens to be sharing some of one’s film treasures on DVD with one’s friends in an intimate holiday atmosphere, and in a place as beautiful as the little village of Greyton into the bargain. Here, exploring the indescribably majestic mountains […]

Cinema being one of my passions, I think it is about time to remind myself and receptive readers of the manner in which the Polish-French director, Krzysztof Kieslowski — who died some years ago — has enriched the lives of cinema lovers everywhere through his work. Some people may wonder how film, which is mostly […]

A lot has been written on TL about race and about racism — some of it insightful, some less so, to say the least. I usually steer clear of writing about this because it is such a sensitive issue and because certain idiots will always try to capitalise on anything one says that may appear […]

Much has been said, and shouted, and debated, about the Zulu practice of ukweshwama, or the ritual killing of a bull by (if I recall correctly) 30 Zulu warriors with their bare hands. With the exception of a few sporadic signs that some of the contributors to the debate have understood the place of this […]

Below, I have posted an essay written by one of my media master’s students, Carla Zdanow, for a course in the philosophy of culture. I have placed it unmodified, to give readers of TL the opportunity to see what excellent research work is being done by some students. I have another to post after this […]

But what if all that stuff about “kissing the joy as it flies”, which I wrote about some time ago here (see “The pragmatics of love”), just does not seem to work, or work out, and despite all one’s attempts to do justice to one’s beloved — albeit within the inescapable limits of one’s humanity […]