Behind the Mask - ARTE

WATCH: A History of Hygiene https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05gP5GlOTB8 In Corona times, as ubiquitous as a wristwatch or glasses: the mask. Previously reserved for surgeons, the mask has now become an accessory as common as a watch or glasses. The philosopher Raphaël Enthoven explores the many paradoxes of the mask with philosophy researcher Elsa Novelli. She is an expert on the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, who, among other things, dealt with the importance of the face in the ethics of interpersonal relationships. Novelli discusses the paradoxical properties of the mask: it hides the face of the other and at the same time indicates that this other is a possible source of infection. The mask makes the invisible virus visible. The second paradox: by protecting against covid-19, the mask becomes a symbol of safety, but equally a symbol of a danger that must be warded off. With the compulsory mask, a medical object becomes an everyday object, but one that only protects, not cures. Sophie Cluzel, the French Secretary of State for People with Disabilities, explores the question of how the mask limits interpersonal action on an ethical level. Are people more attentive to others when they wear a mask? No, because one is less likely to approach other people whose faces are hidden and in whom one does not recognise oneself. When it comes to the extent to which the mask changes the perception of another face, one has to include those who are most likely to be concretely affected by it. This includes deaf and autistic people, for whom it is enormously important to see all facial expressions of their counterpart. How can the masks be adapted so that the human dimension is not lost for anyone in the social interaction? Available until the 11/02/2024 ARTE Documentary is here to tell you more about what’s going on in the world of culture and current affairs with powerful, refreshing and entertaining docs subtitled in English for our international fans. Discover a whole world on #ARTEdocumentary​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 💡 Want more from ARTE? Watch more of our programmes on ARTE.tv: ARTE in English 👉 https://www.arte.tv/en/​​​​​​​​ Subscribe to our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVog...​ You can also find us on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ARTE.tv​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARTEen​ #masks #ethics​ #ARTEdocumentary #paradox


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