Naslov
A Hiss-tory of Human-Cat Symbiosis and Hybrids in Film

Autori
Šekrst, Kristina

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, stručni

Skup
Domestics Cats in Literature

Mjesto i datum
Troy (AL), Sjedinjene Američke Države, 11.06.2021. - 12.06.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
transhumanism, cats, film, werecats, hybrids

Sažetak
Throughout the centuries, cats have been associated with gods (Egyptian Isis and Bastet, Norse Freyja, Greek syncretization of Artemis with Bastet etc.). Such as connection was further developed in the renaissance, where they were thought to be witches' familiars, leading to negative cultural superstitions and beliefs, for example, that cats have nine lives, being deduced from their natural swiftness and reflexes. Such a portrayal of cats with divine or human characteristics, as it's the case with Webber's Cats (1983), leads to various cat-human hybrids or races in both literature and film. One of the most famous example is the Catwoman (DC Comics, 1940) portraying a human with skills of a cat, but such a commonplace is found throughout the Star Trek series, where Caitians are a warp-capable species that resembles humanoid felines, with fur that varies in color. A concept of werecats is exemplified by Cat People (1942) and Sleepwalkers (1992), where people are believed to have shapeshifting abilities into cats. Both cats with human characteristics and humans with cat characteristics illustrate the old belief of cats possessing extraordinary abilities, but also the human desire to possess such qualities. In this paper, we will observe two different types of such hybrids - voluntary and involuntary transformation - to be able to analyze them either from a mythological perpetuation standpoint or to see them as a remnant of a possibly non-controllable animal instinct. This will be connected to a philosophical stance of transhumanism, to show that various hybrids in mythology, literature and film could be seen as a transhumanist manifestation of the desire for self- improvement.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filozofija, Filmska umjetnost (filmske, elektroničke i medijske umjetnosti pokretnih slika), Književnost

POVEZANOST RADA