
A Lacanian Theory of Cinema (feat. Helen Rollins)
From Emancipations Podcast by Daniel Tutt
May 11, 2026 · 1h 59m · Episode 149
About this episode
Daniel Tutt interviews filmmaker Helen Rollins about her book Psychocinema and its exploration of the relationship between psychoanalysis and cinema.
I'm joined by filmmaker and theorist Helen Rollins for a discussion on her new book on psychoanalysis and cinema, Psychocinema. In this book Helen argues there is a fundamental relationship between the structure of psychoanalysis and that of cinema. Cinema acts upon the viewer like psychoanalysis upon the analysand and can expose them to the universal lack inherent in their desire. This process undermines the unconscious logic of capitalism, which relies on a promise in fulfillment. We also discuss Helen's experiences in the film industry, her many film projects (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7184276) in addition to the theoretical topics raised in Psychocinema. Get a copy of Psychocinema here: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Psychocinema-p-9781509561155
People in this episode
Host: Daniel Tutt
Guest: Helen Rollins
Topics covered
- psychoanalysis
- cinema
- film industry
- desire
- capitalism
- theory
Keywords
- Psychoanalysis
- Cinema
- Psychocinema
- Film Theory
- Desire
- Capitalism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IMDB, Wiley
Books & works: Psychocinema
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