On man who lives once every two times: The Days When I Do Not Exist (2002)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Film Studies
• Psychoanalysis

Background:

• The essay analyzes Jean-Charles Fitoussi's 2002 film, "The Days When I Do Not Exist."
• The film presents a man who vanishes daily, illustrating a profound psychic struggle.
• This narrative explores the inability to metabolize emotions, thoughts, and memories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the psychic phenomenon of the incapacity to remain alive.
• To connect cinematographic structure and narrative plot to illustrate damaged mental states.
• To examine how love may facilitate the integration of fragmented psychological parts.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of the film "The Days When I Do Not Exist."
• Interpretation of the narrative and cinematic elements to represent psychic phenomena.
• Exploration of psychoanalytic concepts related to emotional processing and mental dissolution.

Main Results:

• The film vividly manifests the inability to metabolize experiences, leading to their loss.
• Protagonist's recurrent disappearances diminish his sense of vitality and self.
• Falling in love offers a potential pathway for psychological integration and healing.

Conclusions:

• The film serves as a powerful illustration of unrepresented states in severely damaged minds.
• The narrative highlights the constant threat of dissolution faced by such psyches.
• Interpersonal relationships, particularly love, may offer a means to integrate fragmented mental states.