The Lights Go Up on BBC Documentarian Adam Curtis' It Felt Like A Kiss

A brief survey of his work reveals a man singularly devoted to exposing the underlying myths of modern politics. Most of his documentaries can be watched on Google Video: 2002's The Century of the Self looks at how Freud's theories about the unconscious spurred Edward Bernays to create the public-relations industry, and the way the creation of artificial desires was used as a means to control populations. His magnum opus, 2004's The Power of Nightmares, documents the similarities between the rise of U.S. Neoconservativism and Arab Islamism, suggesting that both systems govern by manufacturing exaggerated threats. And 2007's The Trap critiques the mechanized, numbers-driven administration of society, arguing that this system reduces rather than increases individual freedom:

Curtis has since decided to abandon making documentaries only for TV, opting instead to release his work for free on his blog. His latest project, however, promises to shellshock audiences with a fully immersive experience that goes far beyond watching a film: a documentary that you walk through, haunted house-style (featuring music composed by Damon Albarn of Blur fame and performed by the Kronos Quartet, no less!).

As Curtis recently explained to Britain's Register, he worked with the Manchester theatre troupe Punchdrunk for his latest project, It Felt Like A Kiss. It's a 90-minute interactive exhibit where groups of nine explore an abandoned office building as part of an exposé on how our modern notions of freedom have been "shaped by power, but also how emotions - how people felt about themselves - were shaped by power. Above all that meant American ideas of individualism." It's already one of the hottest tickets in Britain, though Curtis has been tight-lipped about the show's specifics. The BBC will be airing an hour-long documentary as part of the project, but the film won't actually detail any part of the exhibition.

A teaser for It Felt Like A Kiss is now available on Curtis' BBC blog, and if the footage snuck out of the first shows is any indication, the film will further cement Curtis' status as one of the most vital filmmakers in recent history. Take a gander at the Guardian's excellent review of the show, and keep your fingers crossed that this one will make it over the Atlantic Ocean.

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