This session is an assortment of diverse papers each exploring the intersection of cinema, visual culture, and religion. From Shinto kami to Korean horror, from the visual motif of hares in Chinese caves to a giant "hare" in the Jimmy Stewart film, Harvey, the papers provide fresh insights for better appreciating and understanding the religious significance of the moving image.
Cinema has been a significant narrative art form throughout history, deeply influencing people through myths and legends. Horror cinema, particularly horror, deals with fear and devil themes, reflecting various cultural and religious beliefs. South Korean cinema has produced unique horror films with syncretic religious discourses and societal lifestyles. This study examines how and demonic representations are shaped in South Korean cinema and presented within the framework of social and cultural dynamics. Specifically, the film "Saja: The Divine Fury" (2019) analyzes exorcism rituals and their impact on creating a syncretic perception, highlighting the influence of social and cultural dynamics on the genre.
“Hotarubi no Mori e” is a cinematic tragedy exploring Shinto and human connection to nature. The story is of a young girl named Hotaru and a kami named Gin, whom she met. “Hotarubi no Mori e” mostly takes place in a deep forest that is seemingly almost too perfect for the world and full of other Kamis. The anime’s narrative not only expresses a personal experience but also comments on the coexistence of environmentalism and religion. The story builds on the idea of hiding religion in plain sight. “Hotarubi no Mori e” is filled with rich visual aesthetics and thematic storytelling, which seems to hide the deeply spiritual side of the story involving Shinto right in front of the audience. In the faith of Shinto, there lies a deep reverence for kami and nature. This anime was able to highlight those beliefs, which can resonate with people globally.
This paper seeks to argue that the 1950 movie Harvey, which focuses on the friendly but rather idiosyncratic Elwood P. Elwood and his best friend, an invisible white rabbit named Harvey, provides an insightful example that can be applied to the philosophy of religion. This paper will argue that the challenge that arises from trying to make sense of Harvey’s existence is analogous to one of the central methodological problems within the philosophy of religion; namely how to interpret private, inner religious experiences. In this respect Harvey prevents us with a ‘conflict of interpretations’ of the sort discussed by Paul Ricoeur in Freud and Philosophy. As such, this paper seeks to show that an analysis of these interpretations and their conflict can provide an insight into Ricoeur’s philosophy of religion and some of the wider issues discussed in the philosophy of religion.