The Outer Space of Consciousness

Jessica Bardsley’s short film Life without Dreams explores the kind of world a sleepless state of mind evokes. Set in the “outer space of consciousness,” Life without Dreams is “an exploration of 24/7 capitalism, insomnia, and the disappearance of darkness.” In this video, Bardsley, PhD ’21, unpacks her ideation and creation process for the film, speaks to what she hopes people will take away from her work, and discusses her upcoming feature, The Cave without a Name, which was a finalist for the 2022-2023 Venice Biennale Cinema College.