Paura, conoscenza, potere: riflessioni su The Village di M. Night Shyamalan (Usa, 2004) e Kynodontas di Yorgos Lanthimos (Grecia, 2009)

Through a comparative analysis of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004) and Y. Lanthimos’ Kynodontas (2009), this paper aims at highlighting unexpected multiple occurrences of an atypical emotional pattern: in both films, overprotective family bonds result in a totalitarian manipulation of reality, which involves a radical reshaping of knowledge and experience. The analysis focuses particularly on the biopolitical use of language, i.e. on the ‘microphysics of power’ affecting the relationships between the characters.