The Great History of Western Philosophy

A monkey and a wild boar roam the country wearing uniforms reminiscent of the Chinese Communist Party regime. Socrates must save a female elephant from being electrocuted. Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand come across Micky Mouse in America, and dinosaurs re-enact the birth of Jesus – all much to the dismay of Mao Zedong, who originally commissioned the film but would now like to ban it due to its absurdities. 

“Do not attempt to reason with this movie”, warns a message at the beginning of the film. Anyone expecting a coherent examination of Western philosophy here is in the wrong place. Instead, experimental filmmaker Aria Covamonas, who taught herself the craft of animation, delivers a fireworks display of surreal scenes with numerous alienation effects and subtitles that in no way correspond to the numerous film quotes borrowed from other works. As in her short films, Covamonas worked without a fixed script, but with endearingly staged cut-out animations. The anarchistic work premiered in Rotterdam and was honoured with Best International Feature Film Award at the 24 Frame Future Film Fest in Bologna. Sadly, it will remain Covamonas’ last work – the filmmaker tragically passed away in July at the age of 46. (Mischa Haberthür)