Existential philosophy in Tarkovsky cinema: Stalker, nostalgia and sacrifice trilogy

The connection between philosophy and art appears in every age of the history of civilization. This bond can sometimes be very strong and sometimes weak. However, when the history of art is examined, it is seen that it is possible for art to develop and spread in thought-intensive environments. It can be said that art regressed in periods when the thought environment weakened. The main element and primary problem that strengthens the bond between philosophy and art is "human". In this sense, philosophy and art meet on a common ground when it comes to understanding human beings, as well as interpreting life by understanding it. Andrei Tarkovsky, one of the leading directors of the 20th century, is a director who has touched on the search for existential philosophy, almost like a philosopher, in his films. In his films, Tarkovsky dealt with the struggle for human existence in an emotional way rather than making a scientific analysis. It is seen that Tarkovsky has dealt with many existential issues that Kierkegaard, who is accepted as the founder of existential philosophy, especially in his films Nostalghia, Kurban and Stalker. In this study, Tarkovsky's films Stalker, Nostalgia and Sacrifice were analyzed with the text analysis method and, at least, set an example of the bond established between cinema and philosophy by enabling an existentialist view of cinema. Thus, a step has been taken on the way to understanding the human and his life, which is the subject of communication sciences.