Author: Clarke, David

Source: Cultural Politics: an International Journal, Volume 1, Number 3, November 2005 , pp. 279-294(16)

Publisher: Berg Publishers

Abstract:

This article examines a number of recent European films that tackle the issue of migration from former communist countries to Western Europe. The key films discussed in the article all seek to show how the West is constructed as an object of desire for the inhabitants of the former communist bloc and how the protagonists' fantasies of the West are sustained by ideology even in the face of the harsh realities of contemporary capitalism. Slavoj Žižek's Lacanian model of ideology is applied to the film texts in order to highlight these issues, particularly his notion of "traversing fantasy." The article concludes by examining the position of the audience in relation to this process.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/174321905778054746

Publication date: 2005-11-01

More about this publication?

• Subscribe to this Title
• ingentaconnect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Political Science ,  Social Science (General)
• By this author: Clarke, David

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers