Watch Unseen: The Lives of Looking

Unseen: The Lives of Looking is a documentary film released in 2015 that explores the act of looking and the impact it has on our perception of the world around us. The film examines the ways in which visual perception shapes our understanding of art, science, and culture, and how the act of looking also influences the way we see ourselves.

Directed by Ed Webb-Ingall, Unseen features interviews with a diverse range of artists, scientists, and thinkers, who all speak to how visual perception has influenced their work and their lives. The film also incorporates a wide range of archival footage and artwork, as well as original music and soundscapes, creating a rich and immersive cinematic experience.

Throughout the film, we are introduced to a range of fascinating individuals, including a renowned neuroscientist who has spent his career studying how the brain interprets visual images, an artist who creates sculptures using light and shadow, and a blind photographer who uses his other senses to capture the world around him. Each of these figures offers a unique perspective on the act of looking, and how it shapes our understanding of the world.

One of the key themes of Unseen is the idea that our perception of the world is not solely reliant on our eyes, but is instead shaped by a complex interplay of factors including memory, culture, and personal experience. The film explores the ways in which we construct images in our minds, and how these images are often shaped by our social and cultural contexts. Through interviews with artists and scholars, we are encouraged to think critically about our own assumptions and biases, and to consider the ways in which our perception of the world is always in flux.

Another central theme of the film is the relationship between looking and power. Through interviews with artists, activists, and scholars, Unseen offers a nuanced exploration of the politics of visual perception, and how certain groups are often excluded or marginalized from mainstream representations. As one interviewee observes, "The power to look is the power to control." The film encourages viewers to consider the ways in which visual representation can perpetuate harm and perpetuate societal inequalities, and to examine their own role in perpetuating or challenging these inequalities.

Overall, Unseen: The Lives of Looking is a thought-provoking and visually stunning documentary film that offers a fresh perspective on the act of looking. By examining the complex interplay of factors that shape our perception of the world, the film invites viewers to question their own assumptions and biases, and to consider the ways in which visual perception is always in flux. With its wide range of interviews, archival footage, and original music and soundscapes, Unseen is a captivating exploration of one of the most fundamental aspects of human experience.

Unseen: The Lives of Looking is a 2015 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes.