16 April 2008

If philosophy is your thing then you'll almost definitely have come across the work of Slavoj Žižek, the Slovenian sociologist, pop-cultural critic and philosopher who has earned the badge "wild man of theory." Publisher of over 50 books that have been translated into 20 languages on topics ranging from philosophy and Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, to theology, film, opera and radical politics, he was a candidate for, and nearly won, the Presidency of his native Slovenia in the first democratic elections after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1990. According to a recent profile in The New Yorker, Slovenia has a "reputation disproportionately large for its size due to the work of Slavoj Žižek."

The feature documentary Žižek! trails the thinker as he travels the globe, racing from New York City lecture halls, through the streets of Buenos Aires, and even stopping at home in Ljubljana, Slovenia. All the while Žižek obsessively reveals the invisible workings of ideology through his unique blend of Lacanian psychoanalysis, Marxism, and critique of pop culture. Never ceasing to observe the paradoxes that underpin our perception of reality, little goes untheorized over the course of the film, particularly Žižek's recurring themes – ideology, belief, revolution, and love. But Žižek is also unafraid to turn his critical gaze on himself, astutely analysing his private life for the camera and contemplating on his conflicted relationship to his growing celebrity.

Erudite and outrageous, mixing innovative animations with uncensored interviews,Žižek! is both an unforgettable lesson in philosophy and a compelling portrait of an intellectual maverick. Žižek! is the second feature length project of the Documentary Campaign, a non-profit working to combine progressive politics with artistic filmmaking, and was made in association with Hidden Driver Productions.

Žižek! has been announced for a UK DVD release on 28th April 2008 by ICA Films at the RRP of £19.99. Screen format and extras (if any) have yet to be confirmed.