Living in a Reversed World

Duration:

Year Published: 1958

Creator: Theodor Erisman and Ivo Kohler

Complete Record: A short film on experiments that reverse the direction of light and thus flip images to the human eye. Many shots of college men fumbling about the world with eye goggles that reverse the way they see images. Shot of college classroom with a white bearded professor and attentive 1950s boys and girls. MS of baby playing with a toy dangling in front of its face reaching for it. MS of key fumbling for a lock on the outside of a door. Interesting experiment at the front of the classroom, Boy wears a hat that has a mirror attached to the front so he is looking in it. He then is shown outside walking backwards. MS of stick feeling out the contours of a jug. Shot of camera looking through eye glass that reverses what we see. Professor puts a pair of head spectacles that reverses things. The young man is supposed to wear them for three weeks. Shows him trying a number of actions wearing these spectacles that distort the typical senses. drinks glass of water, then drops glass on floor. It shatters. draws on chalkboard. CU of a hen wearing the spectacles, turning its head over and over. The subject is in bed with the goggles. Tries to get out of wrong side (against wall). Then at the breakfast table, spilling his coffee. Outside with a ball hanging above his head, he plays with the shadows against the wall. MS of him climbing up a grassy slope. MS of three men , one looks at camera face on, one stands on desk looking upside down through his legs, the other lays on his back looking sideways. LS of the same man right side up and upside down on a split screen. MS and LS of goggled man fencing with the professor. MS of professor jabbing sword, pictured upside down. LS of man with goggles lifting weights. LS of man sitting at a small table. A window to his side opens and a cat jumps out, sitting upside down on the ceiling. Then he flips himself around and walks on the ceiling as well. Then we see that the room is really all upside down. CU of two hands simultaneously writing End back to back.