Waking Life (2001)

US 99m, Colour
Director: Richard Linklater; Cast: Wiley Wiggins, Kim Krizan, Lorelei Linklater, Trevor Jack Brooks, Timothy Levitch, Alex Jones

Waking Life is a clever amalgamation of dream sequences which is animated from film footage of live actors and academics who are engaged in a variety of philosophically focused discussions. Fluid in both form and topic, a loose narrative is built around a central character whose increasingly lucid dreams form the basis of what we are watching. As an exploration of human consciousness, a number of philosophical questions are explored which are not necessarily intended to provide any substantive answers, but rather to heighten the viewer’s consciousness through the discussion. Often odd and unusual, the various performances are heightened by the colorful and wildly expressive animation and the energetic soundtrack (Klaus Ming February 2013).