THE MERCURIUS PRIZE
for Films of particular Psychological Significance and Sensitivity to Human Rights
We are pleased to announce the creation of the Mercurius Prize for films that capture and express important elements of the spirit of Jungian psychology.
Jungian psychology has historically played a major cultural role in promoting the connection between psychology, creativity and the arts. Film, also known as “the seventh art,” has the unique feature of being able to unify stories, moving images, and music. In this respect, it has great potential for transmitting psychological knowledge, emotional sensitivity, and transformative messages to wide audiences and thus to expose a large segment of humanity to depth psychological values and perspectives.
WHY MERCURIUS?
- Mercurius (aka the ancient Greek god Hermes) – the guide of souls, who takes us to strange and miraculous places in our imagination.
- Mercurius – the agent behind moments and processes of creative transformation: from lower to higher, from less valued to more precious, from unconscious to conscious.
- Mercurius – the film-maker’s inspiration and energy/impetus to go from idea and possibility to visual/cinematic reality.
- Mercurius – the transformer of the film-viewer. We ask: does the viewer become more insightful, more responsive, less egocentric, less ethnocentric, and less narcissistically preoccupied as a result of watching the film?
- Mercurius – the intermediary god of thresholds who can help to enlarge consciousness for understanding social, cultural, and ethnic differences, and for building bridges among them.
CRITERIA
Inspired by C.G. Jung’s psychological writings on alchemy to adopt the name Mercurius, and thereby referencing the potent qualities of this mythological agent of transformation, the Mercurius Prize Committee has chosen to honor films according to the following criteria:
1. Sensitive treatment of psychological themes such as: gender, identity, the individuation process, projection, shadow awareness, human rights, the psychic effects of trauma, and coniunctio of polarized opposites.
2. Promotion of increased consciousness and responsibility on both individual and social/collective levels.
3. Awareness and appreciation of numinous experiences and synchronicity.
4. Critical exploration of cross-cultural topics along the lines of the interdisciplinary research perspectives opened by Jung and his followers.
The Mercurius Prize Committee considers motion pictures of all kinds, including long and short movies and documentary films. The Committee will award the Mercurius Prize itself as well as a range of lesser awards and honorable mentions to films that merit special recognition according to the stated criteria.