
In1990,atthesametimeasImetbeekeeperMarcelPilate–whochangedmylife(givingitabettertasteforme,tobeprecise)andwhohiredme–,IdiscoveredthenameofAlexanderKojèvethankstoMichelSuryaandhisbiographyofGeorgesBataille,LaMortàl’œuvre.Ithenmadeafilmonthemusicalandphilosophicalthemeofneighbourandneighbourhood(LeVicinal)whichlinkedPilateandKojèvethroughafragmentedreadingofKojève’sIntroductiontotheReadingofHegel:“HumanDesiremustbedirectedtowardanotherDesire.FortheretobehumanDesire,then,theremustfirstbeamultiplicityof(animal)Desires.”Furtheron:“Inthebeehive,thereisadivisionoflabour”….TwentyyearslaterinFécamp,intheveryspotwhereIhadaccompaniedMarcelPilatetosellthehoney–themarket,IdiscoveredthatMichelSuryalivedintheneighbourhood.Inthemeantime,hehadpublishedPortraitdel’intermittentduspectacleensupplétifdeladomination:“Onedaywewilllookonthisepochasonethat,throughthemarket,subjectedartasperfectlyas,severalcenturiesearlier,theprincesandclergyhadsubjecteditabsolutely.”Asformyself,Ichoseanother,morehuman(animal)marketasacommunity.IwantedtofilmthismarketandpaytributetoSuryaforhavingrevisitedKojève,whocertainlykeptmelaughing.SabineHaudepin(alsoaneighbour)wasabletoexpressthisfeelingsuperblyinherreading.(P.C.) “Indeed,weallknowthatthemanwhoattentivelycontemplatesathing,whowantstoseeitasitiswithoutchanginganything,is‘absorbed’sotospeak,bythiscontemplation—thatis,bythisthing.Heforgetshimself,hethinksonlyaboutthethingbeingcontemplated;hethinksneitherabouthiscontemplation,nor—andevenless—abouthimself,his‘I’,…Themoreheisconsciousofthething,thelessheisconsciousofhimself.Hemayperhapstalkaboutthething,buthewillnevertalkabouthimself;inhisdiscourse,theword‘I’willnotoccur.Forthiswordtoappear,somethingotherthanpurelypassivecontemplation,whichonlyrevealsBeing,mustalsobepresent.Andthisotherthing…isDesire.”