Synopsis
Ghost in the Machine is the first part of the cycle of documentaries Slovak Cinema in which young auteur documentarists explore the past and present of Slovak cinema. Applying different documentary techniques and styles, the individual films analyze not only cinema’s social and historical contexts, but also less formal and obvious ones. The cycle is not intended to be a mere visual historiography of Slovak cinema, but aspires to be a thorough artistic interpretation of its particular traits and issues. The film is a unique insight into the heads of Slovak cinematographers and an attempt to poetically shed light on their thinking processes. Based on interviews with prominent filmmakers, various visual reconstructions and extracts from their works, the picture tries to answer the question of what makes the Slovak school of cinematography unique, while remaining focused on one of art’s eternal issues - the illusory portrayal of reality.