Eros and thanatos

Why does humanity simultaneously strive for love and war? Why, in moments of supreme pleasure, do we suddenly think about death? The Viennese psychiatrist Sigmund Freud gave answers to these tormenting questions. Back in the 1920s, he proposed a new theory: human beings are driven by two main instincts – Eros (the drive toward life, creation and unity) and Thanatos (the drive toward destruction, aggression, and peace of non-existence).

Eros is the architect of culture. Thanks to it cities are built, poems are created and families appear. But the shadow of Thanatos is always nearby, reminding about the inevitability of the end. It manifests itself in self destruction, cute sensations and global conflicts.

This year program presents a diverse and contradictory palette of feelings, sensations, and experiences, trying to stay on the edge of what is possible, balancing between love and death. The undisputed headliner of the program is “Moss and Freud”, a subtle love-artcore drama about the encounter between the famous model Kate Moss and the outstanding artist Lucian Freud, Sigmund Freud’s grandson. The Indian “Pupa” and the Turkish “Sultana” tell about mercenary love. Mortal danger is the central topic of the Filipino horror film “The Hallowed”.

The brilliant acting duo of Fanny Ardant and Joanna Kulig in the chamber thriller “Island” rises theme of love and death to the highest point of confrontation.

Two attractions that rule the world… Every second the humanity navigates between tenderness and aggression. The result of this struggle has not yet been summarized. It is this tension between Eros and Thanatos that makes us alive.

Nina Kochelyaeva