Interactivity and Dialogical Exchange in Chris Marker’s Immemory and Ouvroir

This chapter explores the connection between the interactive possibilities of digital media and the dialogism which has been an integral part of essayistic discourse since the publication of Montaigne’s Essais. It argues that, while the essay form has always been inherently dialogical, the development of digital technology has offered new opportunities for essay filmmakers to interpolate the viewer into a shared textual space in which they have a heightened level of agency over their spectatorial experience and determination of meaning. Focusing on two late works by Chris Marker—Immemory and Ouvroir—this chapter examines how digital strategies such as hyperlinking, navigable spaces, multi-option menus, and non-linear pathways allow for an immersive, participatory spectatorial experience, transforming the essayistic text into a collaborative site of intellectual navigation.