Footnote #23 - Phantasy

The Fantasy/Animation podcast takes listeners on a journey through the intersection between fantasy cinema and the medium of animation. Available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many of your favourite podcast hosting platforms!

The story of phantasy (with a ‘ph’) forms the basis of this latest Footnote episode, a term that is as muddy and complex as its more familiar ‘f’ counterpart. Whereas ‘fantasy’ is associated with carefree, escapist enjoyment in the imagination, phantasy describes a process of meaning making within the human psyche, and is a psychological act that is a regular part of our engagement with - and understanding of - the world. In Alex’s 10-minute survey of the term, topics include its relationship to the language of psychoanalysis; the pleasurable frivolity and creativity of fantasy vs. phantasy’s more pointed link (as a basic mechanic of how our brains work) to the imagination of situations that are not happening in front of us; and the implications of applying psychoanalytic theory and phantasy to the study of fantasy cinema.

**Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo**

Suggested Readings

• Laplanche, Jean, and Jean-Bertrand Pontalis. 1967. The Language of Psychoanalysis. London: Hogarth Press.

• Klein, Melanie. 1930. “The Importance of Symbol Formation in the Development of the Ego.” In The Writings of Melanie Klein Vol. 1, 186-198. London: Hogarth Press.

• Klein, Melanie. 1932. The Psychoanalysis of Children, The Writings of Melanie Klein Vol. 2. London: Hogarth Press.

• Sergeant, Alexander. 2021. Encountering the Impossible: The Fantastic in Hollywood Fantasy Cinema. Albany: SUNY Press.

• Winnicott, D. W. 1974. Playing and Reality. Harmondsworth: Penguin.