2 Sisters - 2 Neuropsychological Constellations in Lars von Trier’s MELANCHOLIA
This presentation offers a neuroaesthetic account of Lars von Trier’s apocalyptic and moving piece Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011). In light of recent evidence on the ways in which the interplay between large-scale brain networks underlies various aspects of subjectivity and selfhood and facilitates empathic experiences, we propose that Melancholia is a “neuroscientific thought experiment” (to rephrase Thomas Elsaesser, 2015) that examines, by the comparison of two mental arrays, a hypothesis regarding the manner in which we may cope with a certain state of extreme stress - the world coming to an end.