Searching for transcendence: an exploration of spirituality in the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and Terrence Malick

Nkukwana, Oyisa Amahle

Searching for transcendence: an exploration of spirituality in the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and Terrence Malick

Thesis / Dissertation

2025

Publisher

Universiy of Cape Town

Department

Centre for Film and Media Studies

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation is to discuss how spirituality is explored in the films Mirror (1975, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky) and A Hidden Life (2019, dir. Terrence Malick) through the application of the concept of transcendence. This dissertation approaches transcendence from a spiritual framework (removed from religion and theology) as opposed to the philosophical treatment it tends to receive in other literature. Recent discussions surrounding transcendence in film have been concerned with a films philosophical content, narrative content and aesthetic style and while these have merit, they tend to ignore the unique aspect of cinema that allows one to feel that sensation while viewing. As such, this dissertation identifies mood as the distinctive quality of cinema that allows it to be a medium for transcendence. In order to understand how this may be achieved, I arrive at three conditions of transcendence in film; point of view, the revelation as opposed to opposition and externalising the internal. To illustrate how these conditions function in a film of transcendence, I apply them to Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky's film Mirror (1975) as well as American director Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life (2019) as they are known to have spiritual engagement with the medium, albeit approached differently. By analysing Mirror and A Hidden Life, this exploration seeks to highlight transcendence's subjectivity and, paradoxically, its universality. I conclude my exploration by summarizing my findings and proposing that future studies be done to test the validity of these conditions.