THE STORY OF LOOKING

DOCUMENTARY | ENGLISH | 90 MIN

As he prepares for surgery to restore his vision, Mark Cousins explores the role that visual experience plays in our individual and collective lives. In a deeply personal meditation on the power of looking in his own life, he guides us through the riches of the visible world, a kaleidoscope of extraordinary imagery across cultures and eras. At a time when we are more assailed by images than ever, he reveals how looking makes us who we are, lying at the heart of the human experience, empathy, discovery and thought. He shares the pleasure and pain of seeing the world, in all its complexity and contradiction, with eyes wide open. As the Covid-19 pandemic brings another dramatic shift of perspective, he reaches out to the other lookers for their vision from lockdown, and travels to the future to consider how his looking life will continue to develop until the very end.

DIRECTOR Mark Cousins
PRODUCERS Mary Bell, Adam Dawtrey
CERTIFICATION 15
SUBTITLES No | AD Yes | SDH Yes


LIVE ONLINE Q&A, 21 OCTOBER, 7PM GMT- POSTPONED
To mark the release of the film, join The Photographers’ Gallery for an exclusive, FREE live online event on Thursday 21 October, where Mark will be in conversation with best-selling writer Geoff Dyer, author of See/Saw: Looking At Photographs, published by Canongate. The event will be moderated by journalist, curator and author Jennifer Higgie (The Mirror and the Palette: 500 Years of Women’s Self-Portraits).

PLEASE NOTE: This event has been postponed
Due to illness we are unfortunately having to postpone tonight’s online conversation event with Mark Cousins, Geoff Dyer and Jennifer Higgie. Please look out for further information about rescheduling this event.