De Humani Corporis Fabrica (2022): Dissecting the Hospital with the 'Kino-Eye'

Abstract: This article explores the documentary film De Humani Corporis Fabrica (2022), which takes its name from Andreas Vesalius's foundational 1543 anatomy text. Filmed in Parisian hospitals, the film uses extreme close-ups to visually exemplify a "medical gaze," a concept developed by Michel Foucault. I argue that the film anthropomorphizes the hospital, treating its wards, corridors, and medical equipment as extensions of the human body. At the same time, by actively employing Dziga Vertov's concept of Kino-eye, the film reimagines future worlds of health as an integrated space of human and nonhuman bodies. Through a kaleidoscopic collage of surgical footage presented without continuity, the film encourages viewers to rethink the purpose of care and the role of healthcare workers.