Foucault Against Himself 2014
Distributed by Icarus Films, 32 Court St., 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201; 800-876-1710
Produced by Francois Caillat
Directed by Francois Caillat
DVD, color, 53 min.
College - General Adult
Philosophy
Date Entered: 04/03/2015
Reviewed by Alexander Rolfe, Technical Services Librarian, George Fox University, Newberg, ORThis documentary provides an overview of Foucault’s thought and adult life. It discusses his major works, his activism, his view of man, and his time in San Francisco and Berkeley. The film draws what coherence it can from a contradictory and difficult-to-classify subject. Those fearing it will be hard to distill any actual meaning from the heady jargon swirling around all things Foucault will be pleased to find that this overview by his admirers succeeds in conveying a pretty clear picture of his work and the trajectory of his career.
Footage of Foucault himself enriches the documentary at several points. Interviews and commentary are in French with English subtitles. Many of the sentences are long and full of abstractions; it takes some focus to follow the several screens of subtitles to the conclusion of each thought. Consequently, it’s not ideal for classroom use, except perhaps in small doses, but would make good homework.