This talk proposes the concept of “negative filmmaking” as a way to rethink the filmmaking practice through the role of non-intentionality. Film theory has traditionally emphasized authorship, control, and intentional form; however, the filmmaking process is shaped by accidents, contingencies, and disruptions that exceed the filmmaker’s intentions. Rather than treating these elements as marginal problems, Vincenzo will argue that they play a constitutive role in the aesthetic formation of films.
Drawing on Theodor Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory, he frames non-intentionality as a manifestation of “otherness” within the artwork, an element that suspends and reconfigures its internal coherence. Vincenzo extends this perspective by engaging with recent discussions on a “negative history of cinema”, particularly in the work of Sarah Keller and Michael Witt, arguing that the “negative” should not only be understood historiographically, but as an operative force within film production.
Focusing on the film set as a porous aesthetic field, Vincenzo will analyse how non-diegetic elements can unexpectedly enter the image and transform it. A paradigmatic example is the accidental appearance of Frank Silva in “Twin Peaks”, later incorporated as the character “Killer Bob”. This case demonstrates how contingency can reshape narrative and form, revealing cinema as an art intrinsically exposed to uncontrollability.
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About the Speaker:
Vincenzo Cerulli is a PhD candidate at the Max Weber Kolleg for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies (Erfurt), in cotutelle with the University of Graz: he previously studied philosophy and sociology at La Sapienza University of Rome and the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. His research lies at the intersection of aesthetics, film theory, and critical theory, focusing on the role of non-intentional actions, contingency, and technology in filmmaking practices. His work engages authors such as Adorno, Dewey, Benjamin, and Rosa, combining theoretical analysis with case-based and ethnographically informed approaches to filmmaking production processes