Cinema, Allospaces and the Unfilmable

Uchronia or &s;allohistory&s; is an alternative time referring to an ahistorical reality, that is, "a means of pointing out the flexibility of history and of denying the existence of an absolute necessity", as Frank Dietz has explained. Cinema&s;s capacity of rendering allospaces is due to its syncretism: by appealing to numerous codes, it can make them interact with different results, thus providing room for the creation of rules ad hoc. Allospaces are always contained within heterotopias. They constitute the &s;mental bridge&s; between screen and viewer. A specific omnicomprehensive allospace is the dream, which has always been a favourite subject of cinema. Since its origins, filmmakers have created ways of conveying a territory that is quintessentially &s;unfilmable&s;, except through mediation. Already in Cabiria , there is a dream scene. The borders between dream and reality become more marked in classic cinema.