Ecocide e diritto: per un’estetica dei rifiuti

Abstract: Ecocide and Cinema: For an Aesthetics of Waste
Regulating environmental crimes is complex due to the elusive nature of climate change, described as “viscous” by Timothy Morton. With its far-reaching, long-term consequences, climate change raises not only legal but also aesthetic challenges, as it transcends our perceptual frameworks, making it difficult to establish cause-and-effect relationships, identify culprits, and devise solutions. This article delves into cinema’s role in narrating and visually representing ecocide, focusing on a specific aspect of environmental devastation: excessive waste production and its disposal. We explore the cinematic strategies adopted by two documentaries, Trashed and The Gleaners and I, evaluating these approaches through Jacques Rancière’s philosophy and his view of critical art’s goals.