Date of Submission
Spring 2011
Academic Program
Psychology
Advisor
Stuart Levine
Abstract/Artist's Statement
This paper is an exploration of trauma through the lens of Alain Resnais’ 1959 film, Hiroshima, Mon Amour. Elle. We hypothesize that Elle develops Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after witnessing the traumatic death of her first love. Diagnosing Elle using the DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD, we demonstrate how she continues to fit the criteria for PTSD fourteen years later. Within this investigation, we target dissociation as an important factor in Elle’s posttraumatic response. The issue of dissociation is discussed in relation to memory, and to a larger extent, historical trauma. Through an integrative approach, film analyses elaborate the elusive experience of trauma.
Distribution Options
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Pearlstein, Molly M., "How to Make Love in a Graveyard: An Integrative Approach to Celebrating Trauma, Memory, and History Through Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima, Mon Amour" (2011). Senior Projects Spring 2011. 23.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2011/23
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