Knut Hamsun as a Literary and Film Character

This article uses as a case study the historical-biographical drama film Hamsun (1996) in order to discuss the complications that arise when considering biographical films as adaptations of biographical and/or autobiographical works of literature. Hamsun by the Swedish director Jan Troell is an adaptation of the Danish author Thorkild Hansen’s documentary novel Processen mod Hamsun (The Trial of Hamsun, 1978), which in turn draws most extensively on the Norwegian novelist Knut Hamsun’s own writings, primarily his autobiographical novel Paa gjengrodde Stier (On Overgrown Paths, 1949). Hansen, in telling the story of Hamsun’s life, concentrates on the events surrounding the Second World War and its aftermath in Norway. The focus is set on the court trial of 1945–1948 when Hamsun was accused of being a quisling and his mental state was seriously questioned not only by the court, but also the general public. Hansen in his novel interprets his extensive source material with a very clear intention of rehabilitating Hamsun as a great writer with a brilliant mind instead of considering him a traitor. It is Hamsun’s own perspective in Paa gjengrodde Stier that clearly lays the groundwork for Hansen’s portrait of the writer. However, Hamsun’s account of events is most selective: his often sharp and ironic descriptions of the present are combined with lyrical and philosophical reminiscences of the past, hardly providing the reader with any answers or explanations. The character Hamsun in Paa gjengrodde Stier seems to be a rather carefully constructed figure whose primary intent is to evoke the reader’s sympathy and to remind us of his status as a writer, an artist. The director Troell has said in several interviews that it was very important for him to use Hansen’s book as source material, but that he and his screenwriter Per Olov Enquist have included many other sources, among them Hamsun’s own Paa gjengrodde Stier. Viewing the film as an adaptation of Hansen’s book, one easily recognizes the connections to Hamsun’s own writings. An interesting question is whether or how the main character differs in each above-mentioned text. Naturally, the longer the period of time that separates the source material from the film adaptation, the more significant a role the changes that have occurred over time in social, political and ethical values play in our interpretation of depicted events. Hansen’s portrayal of Hamsun was very original and controversial in its time. However, the release of the film Hamsun to an international audience in 1996 reopened the debate of “Hamsun’s guilt”. Troell chose to focus on the drama of Hamsun’s personal life through the war and its after-effects. The image of an artist instead of a collaborator – similar to what Hamsun created of himself on the pages of Paa gjengrodde Stier – prevails in both the novel and its film adaptation

Adaptatsiooni ja vaatepunkti poeetika: ajaloolis-biograafilise filmiteose kirjanduslikud ja dokumentaalsed allikad

Teine maailmasõda on andnud ainest tuhandetele ajaloolistele filmidele, mis erinevates žanrites ja erinevatest vaatenurkadest lähtuvalt vormivad meie ajaloomälu. Tänapäeval moodustavad nii eluloofilmid kui ajaloolised filmid märkimisväärse osa sellest pagasist, mis mõjutab publiku arusaamist, kuidas ajaloolised sündmused aset leidsid. Kuitahes palju erinevaid ajalootõlgendusi kaasaegses kultuuriruumis ka ei esine, paneb miski ajaloolise ja biograafilise filmi puhul vaataja lähenema sellele teisiti kui väljamõeldud süžeel põhinevale mängufilmile. Doktoritöö “Adaptatsiooni ja vaatepunkti poeetika: ajaloolis-biograafilise filmiteose kirjanduslikud ja dokumentaalsed allikad” keskendub ajaloolis-biograafiliste draamafilmide kui filmimuganduste uurimisele. Tuginedes kolmele näitele, Roman Polanski holokaustiteemalisele filmile “Pianist” (2002), Max Fäberböcki Teise maailmasõja lõpusündmustest jutustavale “Naine Berliinis” (2008) ning Jan Troelli kirjanikuportreele Knut Hamsunist (“Hamsun” (1996)), on doktoritöös tähelepanu all milliseid eetilisi ja filmitehnilisi väljakutseid (auto)biograafiliste tekstide filmikeelde ümberpanek filmitegijatele esitab ning kuidas sellised filmid vaataja jaoks toimivad kui adaptsioonid: lisaks ajaloolisele tõepärasusele, on nende filmide juures oluline peategelase isik, tema lugu, kogemus ja nägemus sündmustest. Kuigi ajaloolis-biograafilised filmid ja (auto)biograafiad moodustavad olulise osa meie ajalooteadmiste kujunemisest, on nende filmiadaptsioone seni vähe uuritud. Ometi peegeldavad need filmitekstid keerulisi valikuid, mida filmitegijad peavad langetama, püüdes filmitekstis edasi anda niihästi autobiograafilise jutustuse “mina”, kui ka esitada “tõetruult” ajaloosündmusi.The doctoral dissertation Poetics of Adaptation and Point of View: Literary and Documentary Sources of the Historical-Biographical Film focuses on historical-biographical films as adaptations. This is a subject matter that has received surprisingly little attention, considering the importance and impact that written and filmed life narratives have had on contemporary culture. The Second World War has been depicted in thousands of historical films in different genres and from different perspectives that each influence the public understanding of history. While recognizing that contesting perspectives on history and subjective interpretations exist, the viewer of a historical-biographical film still expects to see “a true story”. Furthermore, if a historical-biographical film is based on a published (auto)biographical book, the expectations of meeting not only history but his or her story on screen are relevant to film’s reception. Besides historical and biographical facts, a personal story, individual life experiences and subjective point of view on events are also important in these films. This dissertation explores and discusses the process of adaptation of autobiographical stories. How the subjective point of view of the autobiographical narrator has been adapted into film text, is examined closely in three case studies presented in this thesis: Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), Max Fäberböck’s A Woman in Berlin (2008) and Jan Troell’s Hamsun (1996). Specifically, the focus is on the ethical and technical issues filmmakers face when they attempt to combine the “subjective perspective” with a historically “accurate” story.https://www.ester.ee/record=b523105

Keeping social distance in a classroom while interacting via a telepresence robot: a pilot study

IntroductionThe use of various telecommunication tools has grown significantly. However, many of these tools (e.g., computer-based teleconferencing) are problematic in relaying non-verbal human communication. Telepresence robots (TPRs) are seen as telecommunication tools that can support non-verbal communication.MethodsIn this paper, we examine the usability of TPRs, and communication distance related behavioral realism in communication situations between physically present persons and a TPR-mediated person. Twenty-four participants, who played out 36 communication situations with TPRs, were observed and interviewed.ResultsThe results indicate that TPR-mediated people, especially women, choose shorter than normal communication distances. The type of the robot did not influence the choice of communication distance. The participants perceived the use of TPRs positively as a feasible telecommunication method.DiscussionWhen introducing TPRs, situations with greater intrapersonal distances require more practice compared to scenarios where a physically present person communicates with a telepresent individual in the audience. In the latter situation, the robot-mediated person could be perceived as “behaviorally realistic” much faster than in vice versa communication situations

Slaughter weight rather than sex affects carcass cuts and tissue composition of Bisaro pigs

Carcass cuts and tissue composition were assessed in Bisaro pigs (n=64) from two sexes (31 gilts and 33 entire males) reared until three target slaughter body-weights (BW) means: 17 kg, 32 kg, and 79 kg. Dressing percentage and backfat thickness increased whereas carcass shrinkage decreased with increasing BW. Slaughter weight affected most of the carcass cut proportions, except shoulder and thoracic regions. Bone proportion decreased linearly with increasing slaughter BW, while intermuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots increased concomitantly. Slaughter weight increased the subcutaneous adipose tissue proportion but this impaired intramuscular and intermuscular adipose tissues in the loin primal. The sex of the pigs minimally affected the carcass composition, as only the belly weight and the subcutaneous adipose tissue proportions were greater in gilts than in entire males. Light pigs regardless of sex are recommended to balance the trade-offs between carcass cuts and their non-edible compositional outcomes.Work included in the Portuguese PRODER research Project BISOPORC – Pork extensive production of Bísara breed, in two alternative systems: fattening on concentrate vs chesnut, Project PRODER SI I&DT Medida 4.1 “Cooperação para a Inovação”. The authors are grateful to Laboratory of Carcass and Meat Quality of Agriculture School of Polytechnic Institute of Bragança ‘Cantinho do Alfredo’. The authors are members of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rapid and highly variable warming of lake surface waters around the globe

In this first worldwide synthesis of in situ and satellite-derived lake data, we find that lake summer surface water temperatures rose rapidly (global mean = 0.34°C decade-1) between 1985 and 2009. Our analyses show that surface water warming rates are dependent on combinations of climate and local characteristics, rather than just lake location, leading to the counterintuitive result that regional consistency in lake warming is the exception, rather than the rule. The most rapidly warming lakes are widely geographically distributed, and their warming is associated with interactions among different climatic factors - from seasonally ice-covered lakes in areas where temperature and solar radiation are increasing while cloud cover is diminishing (0.72°C decade-1) to ice-free lakes experiencing increases in air temperature and solar radiation (0.53°C decade-1). The pervasive and rapid warming observed here signals the urgent need to incorporate climate impacts into vulnerability assessments and adaptation efforts for lakes

Testing scenarios for using telepresence robots in healthcare settings

The ageing global population puts heavy pressure on healthcare systems everywhere. Addressing ageing-related chronic conditions requires employment of novel innovative solutions. Telehealth technologies, including telepresence robots (TPRs), are being rapidly developed to provide healthcare services efficiently wherever needed. This article explores the role of TPRs in addressing the challenges of providing healthcare to an ageing population, emphasizing their potential advantages and drawbacks. Employing an exploratory research approach with qualitative data collection techniques, we tested three TPR usage scenarios in simulated healthcare settings: anamnesis, measurements, and falls and frailty. The study employed a non-random purposive sample comprising 25 participants, and was conducted at a medical facility in June 2023. The findings suggest that TPRs offer promising solutions for healthcare professionals and patients, especially in scenarios when physical presence is impossible or physical isolation is required to prevent contagion. However, the technology is not yet ready to substitute fully human medical workers, potentially causing patient reluctance and emphasizing the need for patient-centered approaches to technology adoption. In addition, more studies are needed to address ethical, privacy, and scalability concerns

Widespread diminishing anthropogenic effects on calcium in freshwaters

Calcium (Ca) is an essential element for almost all living organisms. Here, we examined global variation and controls of freshwater Ca concentrations, using 440 599 water samples from 43 184 inland water sites in 57 countries. We found that the global median Ca concentration was 4.0 mg L−1 with 20.7% of the water samples showing Ca concentrations ≤ 1.5 mg L−1, a threshold considered critical for the survival of many Ca-demanding organisms. Spatially, freshwater Ca concentrations were strongly and proportionally linked to carbonate alkalinity, with the highest Ca and carbonate alkalinity in waters with a pH around 8.0 and decreasing in concentrations towards lower pH. However, on a temporal scale, by analyzing decadal trends in >200 water bodies since the 1980s, we observed a frequent decoupling between carbonate alkalinity and Ca concentrations, which we attributed mainly to the influence of anthropogenic acid deposition. As acid deposition has been ameliorated, in many freshwaters carbonate alkalinity concentrations have increased or remained constant, while Ca concentrations have rapidly declined towards or even below pre-industrial conditions as a consequence of recovery from anthropogenic acidification. Thus, a paradoxical outcome of the successful remediation of acid deposition is a globally widespread freshwater Ca concentration decline towards critically low levels for many aquatic organisms

Widespread diminishing anthropogenic effects on calcium in freshwaters

Calcium (Ca) is an essential element for almost all living organisms. Here, we examined global variation and controls of freshwater Ca concentrations, using 440 599 water samples from 43 184 inland water sites in 57 countries. We found that the global median Ca concentration was 4.0 mg L−1 with 20.7% of the water samples showing Ca concentrations ≤ 1.5 mg L−1, a threshold considered critical for the survival of many Ca-demanding organisms. Spatially, freshwater Ca concentrations were strongly and proportionally linked to carbonate alkalinity, with the highest Ca and carbonate alkalinity in waters with a pH around 8.0 and decreasing in concentrations towards lower pH. However, on a temporal scale, by analyzing decadal trends in >200 water bodies since the 1980s, we observed a frequent decoupling between carbonate alkalinity and Ca concentrations, which we attributed mainly to the influence of anthropogenic acid deposition. As acid deposition has been ameliorated, in many freshwaters carbonate alkalinity concentrations have increased or remained constant, while Ca concentrations have rapidly declined towards or even below pre-industrial conditions as a consequence of recovery from anthropogenic acidification. Thus, a paradoxical outcome of the successful remediation of acid deposition is a globally widespread freshwater Ca concentration decline towards critically low levels for many aquatic organisms

Widespread diminishing anthropogenic effects on calcium in freshwaters

International audienceCalcium (Ca) is an essential element for almost all living organisms. Here, we examined global variation and controls of freshwater Ca concentrations, using 440 599 water samples from 43 184 inland water sites in 57 countries. We found that the global median Ca concentration was 4.0 mg L −1 with 20.7% of the water samples showing Ca concentrations ≤ 1.5 mg L −1 , a threshold considered critical for the survival of many Ca-demanding organisms. Spatially, freshwater Ca concentrations were strongly and proportionally linked to carbonate alkalinity, with the highest Ca and carbonate alkalinity in waters with a pH around 8.0 and decreasing in concentrations towards lower pH. However, on a temporal scale, by analyzing decadal trends in >200 water bodies since the 1980s, we observed a frequent decoupling between carbonate alkalinity and Ca concentrations, which we attributed mainly to the influence of anthropogenic acid deposition. As acid deposition has been ameliorated, in many freshwater