The LOST

Non-Linearity in Filmmaking

This chapter investigates how film experiments with non-linear storytelling, particularly how cinema fragments time, meaning, and narrative structure—and how these techniques compare with theatrical non-linearity. It also explores how audiences piece together meaning when presented with a disordered timeline.

PATHS.

Which way will you go?

The Sea / 
The Mother

Echoes Across Time

A poetry collection questioning our place in life. Questioning who we've become when so much is behind us, and so much is still ahead.

Float

The Lost /
The Dead

Meta-Comic Page

A short film on the freedom of youth and the consequences of that raw energy. Where do your feet lead you, and are you in control of them? 

Dance

The Lost /
The Dead

Guided Freedom

A short film on the freedom of youth and the consequences of that raw energy. Where do your feet lead you, and are you in control of them? 

Dance

Footnotes & References

  • Core Theoretical Foundations:

    1. David Bordwell – Narration in the Fiction Film (1985) – Examines non-linear film structures.

    2. Christopher Nolan – Memento and Non-Linear Storytelling (2000) – Dissects the chronological disruption of narrative.

    3. Gilles Deleuze – Cinema 1: The Movement-Image (1983) – How film manipulates time to alter perception.
    4.  

  • Critical Debates and Counterarguments:

    1. Syd Field – Screenplay (1979) – Insists on traditional three-act structures for coherence.

    2. Joseph Campbell – The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) – Supports a monomythic structure over fragmented timelines.

    3. Noël Carroll – Mystifying Movies (1988) – Warns that excessive non-linearity alienates audiences.
    4.  

  • Empirical Studies & Case Studies:

    1. Pulp Fiction (1994) – Uses fragmented narrative assembly.

    2. Rashomon (1950) – Shows contradictory perspectives within a disordered timeline.

    3. Primer (2004) – One of the most complex non-linear films ever made.

    4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind