Being in the World

Synopsis

Ten years after graduating with a degree in philosophy from UC Berkeley, filmmaker Tao Ruspoli returned to visit his one-time professor, philosopher Herbert Dreyfus. That visit led to meetings with other philosophers whom Dreyfus had taught, which subsequently sparked the inspiration for this film. BEING IN THE WORLD raises the question of whether we have forgotten what it means to be truly human in today’s technological age, and proceeds to answer this question by taking a journey around the world to meet a number of remarkable individuals, including Manuel Molina, poet and flamenco master; Leah Chase, affectionately known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine; and Hiroshi Sakaguchi, a master carpenter from Japan. By showing how these people approach life from within their chosen fields, Ruspoli’s film celebrates the ability of human beings to find meaning in the world through the mastery of physical, intellectual, and creative skills. In this way the film explores Martin Heidegger’s conception of being in the world: reality and meaning exist where minds interact with the world. While we watch the subjects of the film work and create, we also hear Hubert Dreyfus and his students reflect on Heidegger and his philosophy. Molina, Chase and Sakaguchi confess that they cannot explain in rational terms how they do what they do: the being is in the doing. Interviews and action combine to offer an interpretation of Heidegger’s thought to the lay viewer that is also suitable for teaching A level students and undergraduates.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of release

2010

Subjects

Philosophy

Keywords

philosophers; Heidegger, Martin

Credits

Director

Tao Ruspoli

Contributor

Hiroshi Sakaguchi; Hubert Dreyfus; Leah Chase; Manuel Molina

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£32.69

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

81 minutes

Year

2013

Distributor

Name

Kino Lorber Education

Email

edu@kinolorber.com

Web

http://www.kinolorberedu.com/index.php External site opens in new window

Phone

+1 212 629 6880

Fax

+ 1 212 714 0871

Address

Suite 503
339 West 39th Street
New York
NY 10018
USA

Notes

The US distributor Kino Lorber Edu brings distributors the films of of Kino International, Lorber Films and Alive Mind Education. They specialise in films on social justice and human rights, film studies, Asian studies, literature and theatre, science and philosophy, religion and spirituality. Sale.

Online Retailer

Name

amazon.co.uk

Web

http://www.amazon.co.uk External site opens in new window