BISFF2025｜War-Image-War Chapter I,II,III 战争图像/图像战争 第1-3章

War-Image-War Chapter I,II,III

Objects which in themselves we view with pain, we delight to contemplate when reproduced with minute fidelity, such as the forms of the most ignoble animals and of dead bodies.

 — Aristotle, Poetics

When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

— Sun Wu, The Art of War

Within the process of modernity, a complex and recursive relationship has formed between war and the image: war continuously generates images, and images in turn produce war. Interwoven, the two create a self-perpetuating mechanism that makes “looking” itself the frontline of power. War-Image-War begins from this problem, asking how moving images not only record violence but also constitute a component of the logic of war.

We begin here—with the back cover of Le Petit Journal in 1912, Le tir au cinématographe (Shooting at the Cinematograph). The muzzle is aimed at the screen; shooting and looking are assembled into the same operation: fire is directed toward the screen, while the image calibrates the firing; from the Lumières’ public screening in 1895 to this moment is little more than a decade (and even if traced back to Edison, not yet twenty years); this was not yet the era of automated vision within techno-algorithmic systems, but it already disclosed a latent isomorphism among image, weapon, technique, and action—seemingly a prehistory of “operative images” (Operative Images). Earlier, in 1882, Étienne-Jules Marey’s “photographic gun” had already consolidated framing–tracking–aiming into one system, providing the ergonomic premise that “seeing = aiming.” Viewfinder–gunsight–screen align on the same axis; visibility and operability are welded together: to see is to aim, to aim is to shoot. The subsequent path is clearly legible: from projection shooting galleries and training films, to WWII multi-projector aerial-gunnery trainers with ballistic feedback, and on to today’s drone and guidance perspectives—from treating the screen as the target to turning the target into a screen.

Le Petit Journal (June 30, 1912), from the author’s collection.

WIW Chapter Part I: Vie et mort de l’image

The chapter title is borrowed from Régis Debray’s Vie et mort de l’image, here “life” and “death” do not refer to natural history; they tend toward institutional history: as a mediatic form that can be organized, translated, and requisitioned, the life of the image depends on how power allocates the visible and the invisible. If we place this proposition within the history of war, certain structures gradually come into view: war shapes the image’s material–technical form (its appearance, formats, and circuits of circulation), while images sustain war’s political efficacy (evidence, legitimacy, capacity for mobilization). Ah, God, How Lovely the War Is offers a cross-section of a mechanism in formation: beginning with the Crimean conflict, images (especially photography) entered, for the first time on a large scale, into the visualization and dissemination of the battlefield; the image began to detach from myth and allegory and to participate in the production of “reality.” The sublime and the grotesque coexist; satire and belief share the stage; photography was briefly enthroned as “the language of truth,” yet was swiftly absorbed into the apparatus and became an appendage of the war machine. In Giuseppe Boccassini’s The Tin Hat, the speed, vibration, and management of the visual field are extracted and become a reflexive mechanism of “affect” moving across historical layers (coatings). Meanwhile, images reproduce themselves in recognizable styles: Mikhail Zheleznikov’s Death of an Extra focuses on the Nachleben of a WWII shot—an instant of a soldier’s fall repeatedly requisitioned across films of different decades and contexts; meanings drift, and the collapsing body ceases to be merely a battlefield event, becoming instead a sign of visual memory that traverses the surfaces of media and epochs, with the ghosts of history continuously released. Ramallah, Palestine, décembre 2018 restores, through an unedited gaze, the most primordial right—witnessing; the camera no longer explains but simply remains present, assigning ethical weight back to the image. “Life and death of the image” is therefore not a cycle of termination and rebirth, but a continuous process of relocation and transfiguration: from the temple to the studio, from the cinema to the data cloud; and war has always been its most faithful—yet most dangerous—incubator.

WIW Chapter II: In Spite of All

Georges Didi-Huberman, reflecting on four surviving photographs from Auschwitz, once affirmed: “In spite of all, images exist (Image In Spite of All).” Some images persist not because they were preserved, but because they resist the command to erase. After ruin and destruction, the meaning of the image shifts from “representation” to “survival.” The films in this chapter extend that thought: they no longer search for truth but emit a faint light amid what has been lost. RAPTURE I - VISIT turns VR and 3D scanning into a digital machine of memory—space can be reconstructed, though what is rebuilt is not reality but desire. The Bomber lets a child’s accidental act replay the after-resonance of historical violence: play becomes the recurrence of trauma. Garan uses a border as allegory to tell of the interchange between hope and fear—on the threshold, what the image preserves is no longer the event but the long wait. Grandma Sena turns “returning home” into an ethical practice of dying: with a motionless body, she seeks to return to the blank place from which history had expelled her. Paleontology Lesson by Sergei Loznitsa makes the museum into a refuge of time—children, among dinosaur fossils, gain a brief “time without war.” Images survive out of the ashes of time not to rebuild history, but to prove that history has not ended; they are not relics of the past, but time itself still burning (brulé).

WIW Chapter III: The Operative Everyday

The logic of war never stops at the battlefield; it can fully extend into the situations we inhabit. The image reveals an “optical unconscious”, but such “revelation” is never neutral—it simultaneously participates in the choreography of power: allowing violence to be digested in the visible and prolonged in the invisible. The works in this chapter show how this mechanism continues to operate beneath the appearance of peace. La vie autour d’un poste au Vietnam glosses the colonial everyday with the vocabulary of “order/friendship”—French and Vietnamese soldiers and civilians living together, patrolling, free clinics, and so on are assembled into a harmonious community life. happiness is the digital-era continuation—before sleepless screens, the gaze of the displaced is absorbed by algorithms, and watching becomes a passive, endless, and hopeless form of political participation. Missle-Missa exposes the violent tension of everyday production and built environments, and extends that same tension to the act of looking itself. Unwanted Kinship uses the everyday of a Berlin neighborhood as its backdrop, bringing wartime testimony into a space of individual reflection—revealing “complicity at a distance.” An All-Around Feel Good tightens the problem still further: when “accessibility” becomes subsistence labor, examining the logic behind it renders “watching” fraught with danger. Progress bars, play buttons, captions and descriptions, game controllers—when we activate these real operations, those allegedly neutral images are executing orders, and in the intervals of gazing, clicking, and pressing play, we quietly sign our names on the consent form. (DING Dawei)

战争图像/图像战争 第1-3章

尽管我们在生活中讨厌看到某些实物，比如最讨人嫌的动物形体和尸体，

但当我们观看此类物体的极其逼真的艺术再现时，却会产生一种快感。

——亚里士多德，《诗学》

近而示之远；远而示之近。

——孙武，《孙子兵法》

在现代性进程中，战争与图像之间形成了复杂而循环的关系：战争不断生成图像，而图像亦在生产战争。二者交织成一个自我延续的机制，使“观看”本身成为权力运作的前线。“战争图像/图像战争”正是从这一问题出发，探讨影像如何不仅记录暴力，更构成战争逻辑的一部分。

我们从这里开始——1912年的《小日报》（Le Petit Journal）封底《向电影射击》（Le tir au cinématographe）。枪口对准银幕，射击与观看被装配为同一工序：开火朝向屏幕，而影像校准开火；自卢米埃尔1895年公开放映至此不过十余年（若追溯至爱迪生不过二十年）；此时未进入技术—算法体系的自动视觉时代，但已揭示出图像与武器、技术、行动的潜在同构关系，这似乎是“操作性图像”（Operative Images）的前史。而更早在1882年，马雷（Étienne-Jules Marey）的“摄影枪”已将取景—跟踪—瞄准归并为同一系统，提供了“看=瞄”的人体工学前提。取景器—瞄准镜—屏幕排列成同轴，可见性与可操作性被焊接在一起：看即瞄，瞄即射。其后续路径清晰可读：从投影靶场与训练片，到二战多投影空射教练机与弹道反馈，以至今日的无人机与制导视域——从“将屏幕作为靶”到“将靶作为屏幕”。

《小日报》（Le Petit Journal，1912年6月30日）笔者藏

《美妙之战》（Ah, God, How Lovely the War Is）则是另一个绝佳的起点：它把克里米亚战争的图像堆栈——版画、石版、漫画、速写与最早的摄影——压缩为一条可读的链条。我们看到一种“图像制度”的更替：从手工再现的权威造像到机械影像的证据诺言。在此基础上，我们可以向另一端展开：那便是俄乌冲突的当下，平台化的视频与“短时注意力”机制把冲突切片为可消费的单位。两端之间映照出同一问题：图像如何在“动员—见证—操演”的往复中，重写战争的形式。当战争进入“过度可见”的阶段，图像的增量不再对应认知的增量，反而生成一种信息—情感黏滞，让公共判断在高速轮播中降质。

因此，我们一方面需要去饱和——通过减速、并置、停格与注释，把日益加速的观看还原为可辨别的证据工作——既审视银盐与印刷，也审视屏幕与平台；另一方面，则需要回溯——把当下的每一类过剩图像嵌回更长的技术与制度谱系，在横向的并置与纵向的追溯之间确立尺度感与判断力。我们希望在这个长期的策展计划中不再问“这张图像是否真实”，而是问“它在何种制度下被生产、如何被流通、对谁生效”；并完成位置转换：从被动的观看者，转为对“观看之所以可能”的思考者。图像战争与战争图像不是泛指“关于战争的影像”，而是指向这样一条命题：图像既是战争的条件，也是其持续的形式。认清并发掘，我们才可能在超真实的表层之下，重新获得判断。

第一章：图像的生与死

章节标题借自雷吉斯·德布雷（Régis Debray）的《图像的生与死》（Vie et mort de l'image），但此处“生”与“死”并非自然史，而是趋近于制度史：图像作为一种可被组织、转译、征用的媒介形态，其生命取决于权力如何分配可见与不可见。若将此命题置入战争史，一些结构感便可逐渐显影：战争塑造图像的物质—技术形态（样貌、格式、流通路径），而图像维系战争的政治功效（证据、合法性、动员性）。《美妙之战》提供了一个机制诞生的横切面：自克里米亚战事起，影像（尤其摄影）首次规模化介入战场的可视化与传播，图像开始脱离神话与寓言，转而参与“现实”的生成；崇高与荒诞并置，摄影一度被封为“真理的语言”，却也迅速被纳入体制，成为战争机器的附属。在朱塞佩·博卡西尼（Giuseppe Boccassini）的《锡制军帽》（The Tin Hat）中，图像速度、震动和视域管理被提取出来，形成了一种穿越历史图层（涂层）的“情动”的自反机制。与此同时，图像以可识别的风格自我繁殖：米哈伊尔·热列兹尼科夫（Mikhail Zheleznikov）的《多余之死》（Death of an Extra）则将研究的焦点放在一段二战影像的图像迁移（Nachleben）上——一名士兵倒下的瞬间在不同年代、不同语境的影片中被反复征用，意义随之漂移，倒地的身体不再仅是一个战场事件，而是一种视觉记忆的符号，跨越媒介与时代的表层，历史的幽灵不断被释放着。《拉马拉，巴勒斯坦，2018年12月》（Ramallah, Palestine, décembre 2018）则以未经剪辑的凝视复位最原初的权利——目击；镜头不再解释，只是在场，使图像重新承担伦理的重量。“图像的生与死”不是终止与再生的循环，而是迁居与换形的连续过程：从神殿到摄影棚，从电影院到数据云；战争，始终是它最忠诚、也是最危险的孵化者。

第二章：尽管一切

乔治·迪迪-于贝尔曼（Georges Didi-Huberman）面对奥斯威辛的四张幸存照片曾提出：“尽管一切，图像仍然存在（Image In Spite of All）”。一些图像的存在不是因为被保存下来，而是因为抵抗被抹去的命令。在废墟与毁灭之后，影像的意义从“再现”转向“幸存”。本章的影片延续这一思想：它们不再寻找真相，而是在遗落的过程中发出微弱的光。《狂喜之一：来访》（RAPTURE I - VISIT）让VR与3D扫描成为数字化的记忆机器——空间得以重建，尽管重建的不是现实，而是渴望。《投弹手》（The Bomber）让一个孩子的偶然行为重演历史暴力的残响：游戏变为创伤的再发生。《加兰》（Garan）以边界为寓言，讲述希望与恐惧的互换——在临界线上，影像保存的不再是事件，而是漫长的等待。《赛纳奶奶》（Grandma Sena）将“返乡”变为死亡的伦理实践：她用静止的身体尝试返回历史被剥夺的空白之处。谢尔盖·洛兹尼察（Sergei Loznitsa）的《古生物课》（Paleontology Lesson）则把博物馆变成时间的避难所——孩子们在恐龙化石之间获得片刻的“无战之时”。图像从时间的灰烬里存活下来，不是为了重建历史，而是为了证明历史尚未结束，它们并非过去的遗迹，而是仍在燃烧（brulé）的时间本身。

第三章：操作性日常

战争的逻辑从不止步于战场，它可以充分延伸进我们所在的情景。图像揭示出一种“光学的无意识”（the optical unconscious），但这种“揭示”从来不是中性的，它同时参与了权力的编排：让暴力得以在可见中被消化、在不可见中被延续。本章的作品揭示这种机制如何在和平表象中持续运作。《越南哨岗生活》（La vie autour d’un poste au Vietnam）以“秩序/友谊”的词汇润色殖民日常——法越军民一起生活、巡逻、义诊等被拼装为一套祥和的日常社区生活。《幸福》（happiness）则是数字时代的延续——在无眠的屏幕前，流亡者的注视被算法收编，观看成为被动的、无尽且无望的政治参与。《弥撒》（Missle-Missa）则揭示着日常生产和生活建筑的暴力张力，并将这种日常的张力延伸至观看这一行为。《不情之亲》（Unwanted Kinship）以柏林街区的日常为背景，将战争的证词带入个体反思的空间——揭示“距离中的共谋”。《全方位美好》（An All-Around Feel Good）则把问题拧得更紧：当“可访问性”成为温饱工作，审视其背后逻辑则让“观看”充满了危险性。进度条，播放键，字幕解说与游戏手柄——当我们启动这些现实操作：那些自称中性的图像正在执行命令，而我们在凝视、点击与播放之间，悄然在同意书上签下自己的名字。（丁大卫）

check here to see the full list for War-Image-War Chapter I,II,III

War-Image-War Chapter.1

Ah, God, How Lovely the War Is | 美妙之战

Sidney Jézéquel 西德尼·热泽克

1964 | 0:14:00 | France | French | Asian Premiere

Confession Room | 忏悔室

Hasan Özgür Top 哈桑·厄兹居尔·托普

2025 | 0:22:32 | Turkey, Netherlands | Turkish, English | Asian Premiere

Death of un Extra | 多余的死亡

Mikhail Zheleznikov 米哈伊尔·热列兹尼科夫

2023 | 0:09:45 | Israel | Russian

The Tin Hat | 锡制军帽

Giuseppe Boccassini 朱塞佩·博卡西尼

2014 | 0:15:00 | Germany, Italy, France | No Dialogue | Asian Premiere

Ramallah, Palestine, décembre 2018 | 拉马拉，巴勒斯坦，2018年12月

Juliette Le Monnyer 朱丽叶·勒·莫尼耶

2025 | 0:10:44 | Belgium | No Dialogue | Asian Premiere

Ah, God, How Lovely the War Is, Sidney Jézéquel,1964

War-Image-War Chapter.2

RAPTURE I - VISIT | 狂喜之一：来访

Alisa Berger 阿莉萨·贝尔格

2025 | 0:18:28 | France, Germany | Russian | Chinese Mainland Premiere

The Bomber | 投弹手

Zlatko Milojicic 兹拉特科·米洛伊契奇

2024 | 0:11:27 | Serbia | Serbian | Asian Premiere

Garan | 加兰

Mahsum Taşkın 马赫苏姆·塔什金

2024 | 0:20:00 | Turkey | Kurdish, Turkish | Chinese Mainland Premiere

Grandma Sena | 赛纳奶奶

Dino Omerovic 迪诺·奥梅罗维奇

2025 | 0:29:38 | Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnian, Turkish | Asian Premiere

Paleontology Lesson | 古生物课

Sergei Loznitsa 谢尔盖·洛兹尼察

2025 | 0:12:00 | Netherlands | Ukrainian | Chinese Mainland Premiere

Paleontology Lesson, Sergei Loznitsa, 2025

War-Image-War Chapter.3

Life Around a Military Post in Vietnam | 越南哨岗生活

SCA 法国军方电影服务处

1950 | 0:08:00 | France | French | Chinese Mainland Premiere

happiness | 幸福

Firat Yücel 菲拉特·尤塞尔

2025 | 0:18:00 | Netherlands, Turkey | English, Turkish, Dutch, Arabic, Serbian | Chinese Mainland Premiere

Missle-Missa | 弥撒

MO. 墨西弟

2025 | 0:15:00 | China | Chinese Mandarin, English | World Premiere

Unwanted Kinship | 不情之亲

Pavel Mozhar 阿里克谢·莫扎尔

2024 | 0:30:00 | Germany | Ukrainian, German, Russian | Asian Premiere

An All-Around Feel Good | 全方位美好

Jordan Lord 乔丹·罗德

2024 | 0:26:58 | US | English | Asian Premiere

Life Around a Military Post in Vietnam, SCA, 1950