Noumenon | experimental short film (2024)

Noumenon

(noun) a “thing-in-itself” — an objective reality that will always be inaccessible to human perception.”
– Immanuel Kant

Noumenon is an experimental short film reflecting on the relation between reality and perception from a neuroscience perspective, and its parallels with the Hindu concept of maya, or cosmic illusion. Neuroscientist Anil K. Seth narrates his concept of controlled hallucination – how all perceptions are active constructions, brain-based best guesses at the nature of a world that is forever obscured behind a sensory veil. Through story and classical South Indian temple dance, known as Bharatanatyam, the film weaves in the Hindu philosophy of ‘maya’ – the powerful force sustaining the cosmic illusion of the phenomenal world as real.

Directed by
Janna Kyllästinen & Maya Theresia Laughton

Neuroscience narration by
Anil K. Seth, D.Phil.
Professor | Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience | University of Sussex

Krishna and the Sage | Hindu parable narration by
Maya Theresia Laughton

Cinematography & editing by
Janna Kyllästinen

Scientists at NYU Lab
Nigel Dao
Maya Theresia Laughton

Original choreography by
Bharathi Penneswaran | Aalokam Dance Company

Dance performances by
Bharathi Penneswaran | Shwetha Ravishankar | Shreyaa Suresh

Original music by
Sarah Fazendin | Violin
Noah Golub | Keys
Christopher Madison | Guitar
Anand Sookbir | Percussions

Sound mix by
Dhruv Shiva Rao

This film was made as part of the 2024 Symbiosis initiative presented at the Science New Wave Festival XVII  and supported by the Simons Foundation.

Supported by The Simons Foundation

Select screenings The Science New Wave Film Festival 2024

Awards The Science New Wave Film Festival | Symbiosis Winner