earticle

영어

This essay aims to explore the possibilities of alliance and posthuman community through the theoretical frameworks of new materialism and neuroscience. The film After Yang, directed by Kogonada and produced in 2021, poetically depicts a world where Yang, a techno-sapient android, serves as a companion to Jake, Kyra, and their adopted daughter Mika. Yang was primarily purchased to educate and befriend Mika, who was adopted from China. However, Yang abruptly malfunctions due to an unknown problem. In his quest to repair Yang, Jake delves into the unexplored realm of Yang’s memories. While the film’s setting portrays a multicultural and peaceful future, it subtly reveals a dystopian past marked by a war between China and the U.S., and Mika’s experiences of bullying by her schoolmates. Furthermore, posthuman beings such as clones and androids face violence and discrimination. Despite these challenges, Yang’s poetic universe of memories transcends his immediate reality, presenting themes of creativity and mourning as an autopoietic entity. This essay particularly delves into the new materialist and posthuman interpretations of Yang’s existence as an autopoietic being and his experiences. The essay concludes by exploring the possibilities of mnemonic alliance and posthuman community.