The Spiral Structure of Knowledge

 

The Circular Being:

Visual thinking makes extensive use of geometric shapes, and the circle is one of the most common. The circle is a geometric form with an immense influence on our lives. The circle, a perfect circular shape, is found everywhere around us, both in nature and in the man-made world.

Gaston Bachelard, in his book "The Poetics of Space," writes that being is circular. Circularity is built and developed in consciousness, becoming its permanent and established form, not as a simple fact but as a phenomenological thought, allowing us to affirm our existence from within.

The central poetic example he provides is that of the bird, which is complete circularity, the circular life. The bird is almost entirely spherical. It is a model of existence. Although the bird is perceived in flight as an arrow shot through the air, in its cosmic state, as a concentration of life protected on all sides, it is the being of circular life. 

The Spiral - From Simple Circle to Complex Form:

The simple yet perfect shape of the circle allows for the creation of a wide variety of more complex geometric shapes, based on a circle with a center. Hurricanes, wheels, propellers, camera lenses, and film reels - these are just a few of the many examples of the various appearances of the centered circle in everyday life.

A Universal Symbol of Growth and Knowledge

The spiral is one of the most important geometric shapes in human culture. It is constructed from a circle that begins at a central point and develops in a continuous line of increasingly larger circles to the outer edges. The unique shape of the spiral represents a unique knowledge structure and is widely used in many fields, such as art, architecture, and science.

From Propellers to Film Reels

Piston-engine propeller planes are an example of the integration between technology and a spiral knowledge structure. The propeller at the front of the plane symbolizes the rotational movement that characterizes the spiral shape. Nowadays, jet engines are common, whose propellers are not visible and are hidden within a casing. The helicopter, on the other hand, with its giant overhead rotor, continues to represent the evolving rotational movement.

The Celluloid Reel

Pre-digital cinema was characterized by large and heavy celluloid film reels that were installed in cameras and projectors. These reels are a representation of the spiral knowledge structure, as they contain ever-evolving content, from the beginning of the reel at its outer edge to its end at its center.

Further Examples of the Spiral Form:

The Ear

In the human body, the ear has a spiral shape. The ear closely resembles the posture of a fetus in its mother's womb.

Bird Thermals

Birds have been an avid subject of research and a source of knowledge since ancient times. Bird thermals have a spiral structure. Heavy birds, such as storks and eagles, need rising warm air currents to progress in their migrations. These warm air currents are created in the late morning hours when the ground heats up. During migration seasons, one can witness huge flocks of birds accumulating vertically and in an ever-growing circular motion until they reach the height where the warm air current ceases. From this point, they glide in the desired direction.

Thermals, as a meteorological phenomenon, were discovered in Germany in the late 1920s by glider pilots in the Rhön Mountains. This discovery made the sport of gliding much more significant. Glider pilots soared for many hours, covering distances of hundreds of kilometers and crossing national borders.

In powered aviation, there are "holding patterns" before landing, where planes circle the runway until, at the appropriate moment, they approach and descend towards it.

In Culture

Spiral labyrinths were known in ancient times. In the Middle Ages, spiral labyrinths were built in churches and served as a means for a symbolic journey to the center of the soul. From the European Renaissance onwards, the spiral labyrinth was constructed in magnificent gardens, composed of intricate paths separated by high hedges. Navigating a complex labyrinth has become a popular form of leisure to this day. Labyrinths are an integral part of the world of computer games and as a method of brain training for problem-solving.

However, although the spiral labyrinth is considered an integral part of culture, only a few books have been written about it. Postmodern thinkers mention the spiral, but they hardly discuss it beyond its basic presentation in various phenomena.

Various national, civilian, and military emblems reference the spiral shape. The rosette form, consisting of three circles of different colors nested within each other, which appears as a symbol on the fuselage of British and French aircraft, simulates the spiral shape. The swastika is another image.

Center-Periphery Relations

Center-periphery relations are a central component of human society. These relationships are also known as the "centripetal-centrifugal" pair of forces. Movement is possible in both directions, from the outside in and vice versa. These relationships exist as verbal and/or visual expressions and are sometimes combined with a distinct vertical dimension, as in the historical social-spatial movement "from village to city," and within the city, from the suburbs to the center.

The dynamics and energies embedded in the movements between the center and the periphery cause the connection between the two ends to be not in a straight line but rather curved, thus creating a spiral structure. The French Revolution, which occurred following the invention of the hot air balloon, is an example of a social-spatial spiral vortex.

The Spiral and Perspective

The spiral and perspective, seemingly two entirely different geometric shapes, share a hidden but significant connection. The spiral, in its constantly winding and expanding form, symbolizes movement, development, and continuous change. Perspective, on the other hand, creates an illusion of depth and dimension on a two-dimensional surface, representing the human attempt to perceive and understand the three-dimensional world around us. The connection between them lies in the perception of movement and change in space. When we observe perspective, our eye moves along the converging perspective lines, experiencing a sense of movement and depth. Similarly, the spiral, in its constant inward or outward motion, creates a sense of progression and regression in space. Both forms, therefore, reflect how we perceive and interpret the world around us, movement, change, and space, and provide us with visual tools to represent them.

The Labyrinth in the Legend of Daedalus and Icarus

In the story of the legend, there is one element, the labyrinth, that has become detached from the legend itself and has become an important model in its own right. The story of the Cretan labyrinth begins with King Minos' disappointment that his wife gave birth to a monstrous son, the Minotaur. He ordered Daedalus to build a spiral maze, the labyrinth, for him, and from time to time, he would sacrifice young Athenians to it, who were sent into its depths. One of them, Theseus, managed to overcome the maze by tying a thread to its entrance, reaching the Minotaur, killing it, and returning safely. Daedalus, fearing for his life, escaped from the island along with his son Icarus using wings he had built. Although seemingly there is no direct connection between the two events in the legend, they are united by the spiral shape, which expresses a journey to freedom.

In Art

The spiral in art can be positive or negative, visual or verbal, outward or inward-facing, and more. In the world of modern art, there are many works based on spirals, but they are usually unexplained and perceived as personal expressions. The spiral in them is seen as an artistic tool.

Religious Circumambulations and Circle Dances

Another type of spiral thought structure manifests in religious circumambulations and circle dances. A prominent example is the circumambulation around the Kaaba in Mecca, where throngs of believers circle the sacred stone, gradually attempting to approach and touch it while spiraling inwards, and then gradually retreat outwards from the circle. In Judaism, during the Simchat Torah celebrations, the Torah scroll holder stands at the center of the dancing circle, surrounded by rings of dancers, each taking turns to approach the center and kiss the scroll.

Other circumambulatory circle dances are more secular but widely practiced. These include dances around a marrying couple, where those closest to them alternate in the inner circle, or dances in alternative celebrations and joyous events, where the person being celebrated stands at the center, switching places after a certain time.

the ancient "Wheel of Spirits" in the Golan Heights	A spiral-shaped labyrinth in a garden in England
Spiritual spiral in Chartres Cathedral, France	Spiral knowledge structure in modern education

The Spiral Knowledge Structure in Education:

Abstract vs. Concrete Learning

The spiral knowledge structure in education is merely a framework for a predominantly verbal approach. The fundamental visual thinking involved has vanished. This is because the spiral knowledge structure represents abstract thinking, bordering on imagination, and is therefore not suitable for imparting to students within the formal education system.

Building Knowledge Step-by-Step

Educational knowledge structures have the form of a visual spiral ascending upwards. The student begins their studies in small, low circles of knowledge. New and broader circles are added above them, with each one being a continuous extension of the one below it.

Cognitive Constructivism

The organization of human knowledge according to a developing spiral structure is part of the theory of cognitive constructivism in education. The thinkers of this school, John Dewey and Jean Piaget, wisely saw intelligence as a concept that develops according to age, through increasing interaction with the environment. This theory also has moral value, as it identifies deep internalizations of developing knowledge, emotional involvement, and the need for socialization.

From Geography to Medicine

The spiral knowledge structure is very common in the field of pedagogy, but due to its development towards an undefined direction, of infinite knowledge expansion, it is a somewhat vague concept of higher-order thinking. The practical spiral model is mainly implemented in geography studies in field conditions. Such learning begins with a tangible stage of touring the area and ends with an abstract summary in the classroom. It is all done through multidisciplinary dialogue. The model is also applied in medical studies, as it offers, in ascending stages, formal learning, disease recognition, and practical specialization.

Vertigo - The Spiral of Silence:

The Primal Fear of the Void

According to Gaston Bachelard, the experience of imaginary falling, known in psychology as "vertigo," is a primal truth of the dynamic imagination. However, it does not exist in the aerial imagination as an invitation to a journey. For the most part, it is a journey into the void, the pit of absolute emptiness, the infinite fall, the plunge like a stone into the abyss where there is nothing. This is a primitive fear. It is found as a constant component in fears of different kinds, such as the fear of darkness. The subconscious is drawn to this basic life experience, but due to a lack of mental strength, there are no words to describe it.

Mass Media and the Unspoken

The spiral of silence, which is the fear of conceptual loneliness, is important in the study of mass communication, which is visual, associative, and lacks verbal clarifications. The imaginary fall in it often appears in the form of a vortex or a converging spiral.

The Deadly Grip of Vertigo in Flight

The feeling of terror, paralysis, loss of control, disorientation, and loss of connection with reality is a familiar phenomenon among flight and gliding trainees. In the skies, the trainee sometimes finds himself in sudden panic due to the fear of falling. He becomes fixated, in body and mind, on a flight path, unable to deviate from it in the slightest. As a result, he rapidly loses control of the aircraft and falls to his death, to the shock of those watching him.  

The Spiral Knowledge Structure in Cinema:

Many filmmakers utilize the spiral knowledge structure in their works. Despite this, only a few books exist on the subject.

Paul Virilio wrote that the purpose of cinema is to evoke an effect of vertigo in viewers. He described the vertigo effect as parallel to the effect created by a missile fired at top speed toward a visual target, causing the heads of all those watching it to spin.

"The Gold Rush" (1925) is an American silent comedy film directed, produced, written by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. The film tells the story of the Tramp, who arrives in Alaska during the Gold Rush and tries to find his fortune while encountering a gallery of characters in the town and on the mountain. The plot develops in an expanding spiral structure, repeatedly returning to the narrative and spatial starting point, the town's inn. The film is considered one of the best of all time.

"Vertigo" (1958) is an American psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which tells the story of a retired police detective, suffering from vertigo, who is hired by his friend to follow the friend's wife and begins to develop an affair with her. The film deals with the struggle between reality and illusion. This film is also considered one of the best of all time.

"Cold Mountain" (2003) is an epic film that tells the story of a Confederate army deserter at the end of the American Civil War, returning to his beloved, at a time when the South is controlled by extremist police militias. The spiral structure of the film is gradually created, from the soldiers' trenches at the front, through life in the rear, to the top of the mountain, where a fateful duel takes place.

"Eye in the Sky" (2015) is the most important of all the films made about drones. The film depicts a military operation conducted remotely using drones and cyberspace. A British colonel seeks to launch a drone missile at a house in Nairobi where terrorists are located, but there is a risk of harming a little girl. The spiral knowledge structure is prominent in the film. Center-periphery relations are presented in the plot as contrasts. The scenes from the center to the periphery and vice versa build the plot's progression. In parallel to the narrative, the cinematography in many scenes is also spiral, with the camera moving in and out between a focal point and open spaces.

The "James Bond" film series begins with a recurring opening sequence where the hero is seen through the barrel of a gun with a spiral groove.

The structure of a classic thriller film script, which begins with a broad presentation of the plot's theme, both verbally and visually, and continues with a search and investigation process from mystery to its resolution, necessitates extensive use of the spiral knowledge structure. The spiral knowledge structure in them, which develops between the concrete and the abstract, compensates for inevitable visual deficiencies.

Spiral labyrinth

The Mirage - an Airplane That Had a State

The Development of Fighter Aircraft in the Context of Long-Term Historical Processes:

Fighter Aircraft - A Mirror of Geopolitical Change

The development of fighter aircraft typically occurs within the framework of an international arms race. This race is influenced by numerous political, economic, and technological factors, and it evolves over time. Military requirements change over time, in accordance with shifts in security perceptions and geopolitical threats. The development of fighter aircraft must adapt to these requirements and is therefore influenced by broader social and political factors.

The High Cost and Long-Term Impact of Fighter Aircraft Development

The development of fighter aircraft is a very expensive project, requiring significant government and industrial investments. The process takes a long time and requires continuous support over many years. It has a significant impact on society and the economy. It leads to the creation of new jobs, drives research and development in other fields, and contributes to overall technological progress. These effects occur over time and are not immediate.

The Multidisciplinary Nature of Fighter Aircraft Development

The design, production, deployment, and upgrading of fighter aircraft are processes based on many fields of knowledge, such as aerodynamics, metallurgy, engines, and electronics. Progress in these fields over time is essential. When an aircraft is successful, its lifespan can span several generations, up to 100 years.

The Long View of History - Understanding Change Over Time

This argument aligns with a theory in historical research that emphasizes the importance of long-term processes and gradual changes in understanding the past. Scholars specializing in this theory use diverse sources, including archival documents alongside statistical data, and they focus on broad structures over time, such as social, economic, and cultural changes. Understanding these processes is crucial for a deeper comprehension of the past and its effects on the present. This theory contrasts with other historical perspectives that focus on specific events and central figures as decisive factors in shaping history.

Mirage 3 - The Key to Air Superiority:

Israel's Guardian Angel

The Mirage 3 reigned supreme in the skies during the 1960s, and Israel acquired a substantial number of them early in that decade. 

This aircraft instilled a sense of security in an entire generation of young Israelis who felt that their existence and future were guaranteed because of it. 

A popular children's film with a romantic touch, "Shmone Ba'Ikvot Echad" ("Eight in Pursuit of One") [1964], was even made about a spy searching for the aircraft's secrets at a military base, and the children of the nearby kibbutz capturing him.

National Miracle

The delta-winged aircraft was the best interceptor of its time in the Middle Eastern skies and gave Israel air superiority. These planes were the spearhead of the Israeli Air Force in the Six-Day War of 1967 and contributed significantly to the resounding victory in that war. The word "Mirage," meaning "desert illusion", became almost synonymous with the victory.

Israel's Aerospace Ambitions - Taking Flight from the Start:

From its earliest days, Israel invested in the indigenous development of aircraft, despite the endeavor being considered a highly expensive and volatile startup. Ben Gurion Airport in Lod became the central hub for the Israeli aerospace industry, which today stands as one of the most advanced in the world.

Mirage 5 Evolution - From Interceptor to Attacker

The Mirage 5 aircraft was designed by the Israeli aerospace industry before the Six-Day War. Israel developed it in collaboration with France, as early as 1966, as an improved version of the Mirage 3, intended for air-to-ground attacks. The Mirage 5s were revolutionary compared to the Mirage 3s, which were primarily designed for interception. The Mirage 5 could carry 4 tons of bombs compared to only one ton carried by the Mirage 3, and it was much cheaper and simpler.

From Embargo to the Birth of the Nesher

On the eve of the Six-Day War, France, which was Israel's sole supplier of aircraft at the time, imposed an embargo on arms shipments to the Middle East, preventing the delivery of the 50 Mirage 5s that Israel had ordered. After the war, Israel managed to obtain, through indirect means, all the aircraft's blueprints and produced it in the early 1970s under the name "Nesher." This was despite the complex moral dilemma involved in manufacturing without obtaining the patents and production rights. 

"Israel is an Airplane" - The Kfir's Legacy

In the second phase, Israel developed a semi-original version of the aircraft, with an American engine, under the name "Kfir." It produced a considerable number of them, based on its security needs, and even exported them to several countries, where some of them are still in service today. The investment in the "Kfir" was enormous and required a reorganization of the aerospace industry. It gave rise to the expression that "Israel is an airplane that has a country."

Mirage of Security:

The Sinai Dream

The phrase "a plane that has a country" held a deeper meaning for Israel. The aspiration to produce a large and powerful fleet of "Nesher" and "Kfir" aircraft, providing the nation with long-term security, merged with a broader political outlook that rejected confronting the complex reality in the territories captured during the Six-Day War. The triangular shape of the Sinai Peninsula seemed to mirror the wings of the Mirage, becoming a sort of "desert mirage."

Military Over Diplomacy

This imagery served as the foundation for official policy, disregarding peace proposals offered by Egypt and the U.S. Without a concrete plan for the future of the territories, Israel relied on its military might, particularly its domestically produced Mirage 5 aircraft with their long-range strike capabilities, as a deterrent against any potential attack.

Flawed Intelligence

A small group of senior intelligence officers formulated a "conception" supporting this approach. They argued that as long as Egypt also lacked long-range strike aircraft, it wouldn't dare attack Israel. This notion, based on an illusion of military and territorial superiority, was endorsed by the political leadership and led to a situation where, on the eve of the Yom Kippur War, abstract concepts overshadowed practical considerations in national security perception. The eve of the war, which broke out on October 6, 1973, found Israel in a state of surprising unpreparedness. 

 

The Mirage 5's Legacy:

French Betrayal - Egypt's Armament  with Mirage 5

As early as 1970, a deal was struck between France and Libya, an enemy of Israel and an ally of Egypt, for the supply of 110 Mirage 5 aircraft, an improved copy of the planes Israel itself had designed. Given the precedent of Israel stealing the aircraft's plans, the French likely did this without any qualms. This was despite the fact that these planes were originally intended for Egypt, Israel's arch-enemy. The French embargo on the eve of the Six-Day War also included Egypt. Nevertheless, the planes were gifted to Egypt by Libya, starting in 1972.

Egypt's Military Shift From Soviet to French

Up until then, the Egyptians had relied on Soviet aircraft. They wanted to launch a war against Israel, but the USSR delayed the delivery of modern long-range strike aircraft, such as the MiG and Sukhoi, as it wanted to ensure Egypt's long-term dependence on it. The Egyptians were reluctant to start a war until they had such aircraft, and the Mirage 5s received from Libya became a suitable substitute. The Israeli government and the officers who formulated the "conception" ignored the fact that Egypt was receiving superior strike aircraft from France, in greater quantity and quality than the Soviets had planned to provide.

A Wide Door for Egypt to the West

It's interesting to ponder whether the government and military leaders' disregard for the implications of the deal was intentional. Undoubtedly, it opened a wide door for Egypt to the West, something Israel also desired. 

Hostility had prevailed between Egypt and the Western powers since Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956. 

Consequently, a complacent "wait and see" attitude developed among decision-makers. This attitude was incompatible with the vigilance expected of military personnel towards an enemy.

The Yom Kippur War - Yellow Triangles on Israeli Mirages

Just as the Mirage 3s prompted Israel to launch a surprise attack in the Six-Day War, the Mirage 5s motivated the Egyptians to launch a surprise attack on October 6, 1973. They became a central weapon in their arsenal, and during the war, they used them to strike deep into the Sinai Peninsula. To avoid misidentifying the Egyptian Mirages in the air, the Israeli Air Force had to paint the wings of its own Mirages with yellow triangles, reminiscent of the Star of David patches the Nazis forced Jews to sew onto their clothing.

The Mirage's Lingering and painful Impact

In this war, Israel found itself, to its surprise, in a situation where a sophisticated and powerful aircraft it had developed itself, and which was critical to its security, was gifted, in practically unlimited quantities, to the very enemy for which the plane was developed. Moreover, the businessman behind this roundabout deal, who also planned a similar deal with Saudi Arabia, was an Egyptian who was also Israel's top spy. He was close to Egyptian President Sadat and provided Israel with a hasty, last-minute warning about Egypt's intention to go to war. Nevertheless, Israel was surprised and unprepared for the Egyptian surprise attack. 

The entire affair, in the spirit of the name "Mirage," became a bitter mirage for the Israeli leadership and significantly impacted its intelligence, military, and political actions to this day.

The Shift in Israel's Military Supply to American Reliance:

Nixon's Ultimatum

At the very start of the French embargo, Prime Minister Golda Meir traveled from Jerusalem to Washington to request an immediate replacement for the Mirage 5. The primary source for Israel's fighter jets became the United States, which supplied it with "Phantom" and "Skyhawk" aircraft, which were also of higher quality. Nixon conditioned the supply on the revocation, under the Law of Return, of the Israeli citizenship of Meyer Lansky, the American-Jewish casino magnate who had aided Israel, through Golda, during its difficult times in the War of Independence.

The Lavi's Legacy - A Dream Fade Out

The phrase "a plane that has a country" is even more fitting for the Israeli aircraft designed in the 1980s to replace the "Kfir" - the "Lavi," which was an original Israeli design from start to finish. The United States partnered in its development and funding. At an advanced stage of development, after the prototype had conducted its maiden flights, the Americans decided to halt funding for the project. 

The cancellation of the project diverted thousands of engineers to the high-tech industry, creating the foundation for the Israeli "Startup Nation." Today, no fighter jets are developed or manufactured in the Israeli aerospace industry. 

The Lavi and the Mirage 5 are remembered more as mirages. The peace agreement with Egypt, under which Israel returned the entire Sinai Peninsula captured in the Six-Day War, largely contributed to pushing the issue out of historical memory.

Dependence on U.S. Aid

Today, the State of Israel relies on the United States and is entirely dependent on it for the supply of fighter jets. The United States provides it with advanced fighter jets that cost a fortune, and their cost constitutes the majority of the fixed annual military grant to Israel, which amounts to over three billion dollars. The accumulated sum since the grant began, about fifty years ago, reaches hundreds of billions of dollars. It's unknown if and when the tables will turn, and the U.S. administration will decide to reduce or completely eliminate it. The Israeli government and its citizens have become accustomed to taking this grant for granted. If it were to be canceled, the end of the state, as it currently exists, would be swift.

Swift Victories with Lasting Impact

The aerial arms race is expensive and prolonged, but its outcome is often determined within a few hours. The decision is reached based on a slight advantage. In aerial warfare, a slight technological edge, achieved through years of technological effort, is the key to victory. 

One recent example is the victory Israel achieved against Iran in the "Swords of Iron" war: Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel within a few hours. About 99 percent of them were intercepted by Israel's air defense systems, developed over approximately 30 years. This swift victory may shape the political future of the region for many years to come. 

The "Kfir" aircraft

Between Anxiety and Joy: Eid al-Adha, "Inside Out 2," and the Surprising Connection Between Them

Eid al-Adha is a pilgrimage to Mecca, a significant event for Muslims worldwide. This year, an extreme heat wave in the region claimed many lives, reminding us of the heavy price of blind faith at times.

The Muslim Eid al-Adha, which falls at the end of June this year, coincides with the release date of the animated film "Inside Out 2." Coincidence? Perhaps. But the connection between the holiday and the film is far more interesting when delving into the meanings and stories behind them.

The two founding stories of Judaism and Islam, the Binding of Isaac and the Binding of Ishmael, are at the heart of Eid al-Adha. The names Isaac and Ishmael, despite their phonetic similarity, carry vastly different meanings.

Ishmael – his name signifies anxiety ("listen" and "God") and blind obedience to God.

Isaac – his name signifies joy ("laughter") and hope, representing an optimistic worldview and faith in human goodness.

In the movie "Inside Out 2," the two central characters, Joy and Sadness, struggle for control of the heroine's mind. It's a struggle we all know – between fear and worry and optimism and joy. Just like in the story of the Binding of Ishmael, anxiety tries to take over, but in the end, joy wins and returns the heroine to a healthier and more balanced worldview.

Blueberry Hill song, 12 Monkeys movie and Vladimir Putin's performance

The essence of the promise of stability, prosperity and security is at the mercy of science and human intelligence. If something still got out of hand, it was because someone was probably negligent, did not perform his task properly, did not turn in time to the appropriate expert - a phenomenon known in modern language as "failure" that requires investigation and examination.

In his book "The Critical Space", the French philosopher Paul Virilio described in detail the striving of rational-scientific thinking to achieve control in the world of phenomena with a tendency to control even the uncontrollable. But capturing the great promise of technology and science will, in his view, lead to an "integral accident" that will not only change the human perception of technology but may even bring an end to the "modern project."

Of course, Virilio did not wish for such an "accident" but warned against it: as great as the promise is, so is the depth of the crisis. Indeed, modern man's expectations of science and the state find themselves repeatedly battered in the face of defiant reality. This time, in the Russia-Ukraine war, we are not just facing a "global accident".

The book "Open Skies" and the film "Eye in the Sky"

The introduction to the book "Open Sky" [1997], by Paul Virilio, begins routinely. He calls the sky "the primary beach." The sky separates the fullness of the earth from the emptiness of outer space. With the invention of the artistic perspective in the Renaissance period, focusing on a horizontal vanishing point, man moved away from the natural connection to the initial vertical contrast of sky-earth, embodied in gravity. Nowadays, when the sky is populated by countless afying objects, it is worthwhile to go back and focus on the vertical horizon.

From then on Virilio turns to an original theory: outer space does not exist as the scientists explained to us. The essence that controls the universe is time, which is matter in itself. Time is the dark matter of the universe. From the initial cosmic darkness derive our cognition of time as matter. This time-material creates the space familiar to us. We should call the regular time "continuity". Continuity exists in itself as matter, from the continuity that exists between atomic particles, to the continuity measured in the ranges of the creation of the universe. It is a substance whose intensity is measured by its speed, which is in relation to the speed of light.

Despite the lack of a scientific basis for the theory, the continuity of time as a material in itself is well tangible to anyone involved in filmmaking. The film editor connects footage of filmed raw material. Between each of two sections is a section of a black screen. Each passage create in the editor a sense of tangibility. His challenge is to cut off the darkness, the void, just as he cuts a piece of something . The black screen segments between the pieces of footage are a physical entity. This entity is un identified, yet it exist. Its feeling is as of the photographed material. It therefore treated, without choice, like a substance in itself. Nature despises emptiness for its own sake.

Virilio abandoned his keen interest in cinema in favor of interest in the dimensions of time, which allowed him to explore the mega cities of the world as a critical space, enslaved to accelerated technology.

Emptiness in which ordinary time becomes substance characterizes the opening scene of the film "Eye in the Sky" [2015]. The protagonist of the film is a colonel, responsible from London for an operation using unmanned aerial vehicles, which takes place in Africa.

The motto at the beginning of the film is: "In war, truth is the first victim." The motto is the essence of Virilio's thought, which deals mostly with observation technologies and decision making in the field of military aviation, and their impact on visual thinking today, where immediacy plays a central role, due to the congestion of images.

The opening scene of the film shows, in half-body camera views, a girl in Africa in the yard on a sunny morning, watching her mother bake bread, and at the same time playing with a hula hoop, next to her father fixing a bicycle. The ring is symbolic. It points out, according to Virilio's worldview, inspired by the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, the usual time and space, embodied in the growing by the diameter latitudes  of the Earth. Virilio describes this in his book "Polar Inertia" [1990].

Using a drone, the camera gradually moves away from the yard toward the street, where a military jeep with armed men is moving. The jeep is seen through the target sight of a UAV that follows it. The camera continues to move away, and the distance causes the viewer's point of view to focus on the vertical axis, which according to Virilio and Hawking indicates the abstract time and space, according to the earth longitudes,  which are arbitrary and uniform in diameter. The aiming lines of the drone become the letter E in the name of the movie, which  appears on the screen.

The picture shift to the Colonel, who is seen in a second long opening scene, in the close-up of her face in complete darkness, as she wakes up in her bed in her country house, ahead of a work day. It's still night time. The lighting is foggy and warm, using night lamps indoors and outdoors. In contrast to the clear sense of reality in Africa, the sense here is of an undefined, mystical reality. As if time is matter and the central dimension.

The camera follows her in half-body shots: while still drowsy she puts on a robe, takes the dog out into the yard, and opens the computer with a fingerprint. On the wall are pictures of the faces of the terrorists she focuses on. The picture sharpens. The photographs finally awakening her, along with an urgent mail.

An eye in the sky - the full movie on YouTube

The pilot as a superhero in Israeli cinema

The Israeli fighter pilot as a superhero

The slogan "the best for pilots" still has significance in the State of Israel. Most of the public attach great prestige and importance to the pilot. World War II immortalized the pilot as a mythological figure. The stories of the "Battle of Britain" heroically described him. Winston Churchill said: "Never before have so many owed so few''. Ezer Weizmann, who served as a pilot in the British Air Force during World War II and served for about 8 years as commander of the Israeli Air Force, has become the most significant symbol of the Israeli pilot. He created the local slogan. It attests to excellence and implies that whoever flies is good.

The main historical factor in the development of this myth in Israel are the many wars that have been decided by its air power. Operation Kadesh in 1956 was relatively successful for the Air Force, but did not significantly dispel the myth. During the Six Day War, the Air Force's achievements were set and the documentaries about it highlighted the Israeli pilot myth. After that, when the Air Force was automatically associated with successes and abortions, there was a huge increase in the number of volunteers for a pilot course. Self-confidence was high and the pilots were wrapped in a lot of love.

The image of the almighty hero pilot remained in the minds of civilians even during the Yom Kippur War. Despite the low morale it brought with it, the Air Force was portrayed in this war as the main defensive wall. The pilot stereotype was perpetuated in it as the perfect hero, who is also a "sacrifing savior'', willing to risk his life and sacrifice his life for the State of Israel.

After the Yom Kippur War the pilots boasted less of the wings. This happened mostly to the young. But even if there was a slight respite in public admiration for pilots, they were able to regain the aura, thanks to successful operations such as "Entebbe" and "Attack of the Reactor in Iraq." These operations had a style that gave the Israeli pilot a Hollywood touch.

Today, the army is no longer a top value in Israeli society and it is permissible to criticize it, including the Air Force. Still, the image of the fighter pilot in public is better than that of other military personnel. Today the society is individual and the pilot expresses exactly that value. If you add to this elements like quick reaction, decisiveness, courage, challenge, self-control and accuracy, you come to the conclusion that this is the character of the popular hero.

An interesting question is in what direction will the pilot figure develop in the future, where the war will be largely waged using unmanned aerial vehicles, which require different characteristics and population segments.

In this context it is worth mentioning that the film industry was, from the beginning, an important source of employment for Air Force personnel around the world, after being discharged from military service. They have been integrated into this industry in all fields and levels. It was these people who shaped the character of the "Knightty Fighter Pilot" in popular culture.

The myth of aviation in the visual media in the State of Israel

Central to the approach that explores aviation as a comprehensive phenomenon is the practice of the terms "aerial awareness" and "aerial consciousness". The difference between them is, in short, is like the difference between the terms "artist" and "artisan".

The term "aerial awareness" explains the enthusiasm of individuals for the flying machine, which accumulates for independent creation and voluntary activity of creating traditions and symbols on the subject.

In Western powers, such as the United States, England, and France, aerial awareness puts the independent individual interested in aviation at the center. It is dominant and accordingly the character of the pilot is shaped as a lone hero, with a sensitive mind. He operates a highly complex machine while constantly physically moving in three-dimensional reality. He experiences and makes decisions that are not the property of the common man, who lives in a two-dimensional environment. The fighter pilot is therefore an "artist".

The term "air consciousness" means the intelligent use of aviation to create a comprehensive national and social identity and accordingly the pilot is part of the social system and does not question it. In World War II, there were four countries that controlled the "air consciousness", in what can be called the "air dictatorship". These countries are: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan and the Communist Soviet Union. Because in these countries the emphasis in training was on quantity versus quality, the title appropriate for the pilot in them is "artisan".

In the middle are the countries that do not clearly belong to one of the two blocs, including Israel, which has created a unique aviation culture. Apart from being part of the myth and saga of the "best air force in the world", the images of the Israeli fighter pilot as a superhero also feed on Israel's ties with the United States, including American popular culture, with its superhero culture. Contrary to the image of the "wild west man", defense needs also contributed to the design of an Israeli fighter pilot with political views and social criticism, in films and in reality, as in the case of Yiftach Spector, who became one of the critics of Israeli defense policy.

Real American aviation events in the last half century have influenced Israeli society through television, which covered them as prominent and fascinating media events. For example, the "first Gulf War" that took place in the years 1990-1991. During it, American precision bombing videos were given extended screen time each evening. Feature aviation films, including "top Gun" (1986), illustrate the close connection between the American Air Force and the Israeli Air Force, thanks to the social background and similar ideals, the use of identical aircraft and the training and common goals.

The most important aviation-television event to date is the first landing on the moon, in July 1969. As in the rest of the world, Israel too watched with anxiety and excitement the miraculous journey of three Apollo 11 pilots: Reporters were sent to NASA space center,  TV and radio coverage of the event was from every possible angle and commentators and scholars have debated the question of the historical, scientific and spiritual significance of the landing. The Apollo 11 astronauts have gained the status of cultural heroes in the local media and entiresupplements have been devoted to their experiences.

The popular culture in the United States greatly reinforces the myth of aviation, but at the same time the image of the pilot as an individual with personal needs. ''Star Wars'' movie series, in which the figure of the pilot stands out as a superhero, can be analyzed as a biblical text about the cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil and the desire to survive with the help of God - "the force". There are Jewish scholars who challenge the ideological separation between popular culture and religious life and link episodes in the saga to Jewish religion and history. The saga allows for a local critical discussion of various issues, such as feminism and gender, government and minorities, psyche and personality, quality of life and environment and more. "Star Wars" also has practical importance for Israel militarily, as synonymous with space warfare and as a source for learning military strategies.

Feature films about the fighter pilot in the State of Israel

Compared to the extensive place that the Air Force has in Israeli society and the many books written about it, few feature films have been made in the country about the subject of the fighter pilot. In the few films made in the State of Israel, the icon gradually became from national to personal, and in the meantime he is also exposed to social criticism.

The film "Sinaia" (1961) is a unique feature film in Israeli cinema, the plot of which takes place during Kadesh operation. It star is an Israeli fighter pilot, Yiftach Spector, who was loaned to a film from the Air Force and later became one of its top pilots and commanders. The film was made while he was still a young pilot. It is generally based on a real event. Spector plays himself as an Israeli pilot, whose Mister jet crashed near a Bedouin encampment in Sinai. He manages to take control of an Egyptian Piper plane, fixes it in a tent and takes off with the wounded Bedouin baby Sinaia and her mother. The plane crashes and the pilot dies. Sinia survives and is picked up by another Israeli officer, who was left to wait for rescue. Spector's character adds a mythological dimension to the film, as he plays the character of the legendary Sabre.

Early feature films, such as "Sinaia" and "Eight after One" (1964), perpetuate the fighter pilot myth as a local superhero. The later films are more critical. There are Israeli aviation films that use this myth to present criticism of national policy, or self-criticism of the character of the personal pilot as a superhero. In feature films such as "Way of the Eagle" (1990) and "Armand's Kites" (2011), the protagonist pilot character is subject to self-criticism and external criticism.

An example from the recent period is the film "Adventure in the Sky" (2019), which combines computerized visual content scenes. An aviation-loving boy and girl find scraps of an antique Air Force "Messerschmidt" plane. They decide to renovate the plane and fly it in the Independence Day demonstration. Throughout the film one can find a close affinity with the First Air Force Fighter Squadron, but comedic antagonistic sub-characters, who display the arrogance sometimes identified with the pilot profession, manage to maintain the critical character.

Between the character of the pilot as a national hero and the criticism of him lies the private personality. The Israeli fighter pilot walks on a taut rope, which is intertwined with both his profession and his conscience. The result, for the most part, sharpens self-criticism, which is also a key tool in his ability to improve performance, as part of the "best air force in the world."

The film "Every Bastard is a King" (1968)

The discussion of the values ​​of the pilot character rises another step in Uri Zohar's feature film "Every Bastard is a King" (1968), for which the script was written by Eli Tavor and produced by Avraham Deshe. The film was a huge success. The film is dedicated to the IDF forces that operated during the Six Day War. It is a hybrid, as it include long documentary footage. Hybridity is also an artistic means of illustrating the main message of the film, as will be described below. It is a film that can be fully understood and analyzed as an aviation film, as the protagonist represents the character of the pilot as a superhero, even though he is a private pilot, acting for personal motives. The film tells the true story of Abie Nathan and his peace flight.

The film consists of three plots naratives: The first deals with the peace pilot Rafi Cohen (Oded Kotler) whose character is modeled after Abie Natan. The second deals with the character of his driver Yehoram (Yehoram Gaon) who becomes a brave warrior in the war. The third deals with an American journalist, Roy Hemings (William Berger), who came to cover the upcoming war with his wife Eileen (Pierre Angeli).

Abie Nathan, a restaurant owner and peace activist, took off privately on a light private plane to Egypt in February 1966, in an attempt to talk to Nasser. The film gives his flight a human and representative meaning that goes beyond its historical impact. He is crowned as an alternate superhero pilot. A key sentence at the end of the film is: "If you want to live - you must learn to fly".

The film begins with a small convoy of cars, in which Yehoram is driving the leading car, with Rafi sitting next to him. Along with them in the car is the widow Eileen. They drive to the airport in Lod. The convoy pass between the planes, parking and loading onto a large passenger plane a coffin wrapped in the United States flag, in which lie Roy Hemings' dead body. At that time, the airport and air transport were considered another expression of Israeli air superiority. The scene herald the reality of today, where flying in passenger planes has become massy and tedious.

Then begins the chronological narrative, which opens with a description recorded by Roy, of the situation in the country on the eve of the war: ''Israel is a systematic and messy collection of paradoxes, which somehow have some logic, which can not be explained. Everything you say about the Israelis is the opposite''. His words are heard against the background of a picture of a gleaming El Al plane taking off with its coffin.

The mystical-religious dimension is integrated, with Rafi leading seven demonstrators, who are marching to Jerusalem for peace. They tell Roy that if the politicians did not bring peace, maybe Rafi will succeed. Yehoram says that Rafi's courage stems from despair. He once saved Rafi's life at a rooftop party, where he walked on the railing to impress a girl and almost fell into an abyss. The story is told against the background of a flashback scene, of Yehoram the paratrooper and his friends jumping from a large military plane. Yehoram says that parachuting is the best thing in the world, but getting off the plane is scary.

Hemings reveals the aspirations of the collective war of the Arabs. You can see in the flashback the incident where Rafi walked on the roof railing, told again by Rafi himself, to Eileen with whom he develops an affair. Rafi has an instinct for self-destruction. He may be interested in being a "sacrifing savior''. Even the  mental dialectic, the culmination of which is the idea of ​​love, is incapable of solving his problems.

Hemings resents that Yehoram took a female soldier as a hitchhiker, but Yehoram says he is "free as a bird" and works to live. Hemings repeats the sentence as he records the experiences of the day. The romantic entanglement expands in Yehoram's event with Eileen.

Roy gets a phone call from Rafi, who wants to talk to him about a return flight to Egypt. Rafi tells Roy that he is flying not because of what he is, which is meaningless to him, but despite who he is.

Rafi tells Roy about the flight to Egypt. The flight scenes appears in full: preparations for takeoff, flight, spontaneous reactions in public. For a moment, Hemings and Rafi return to a disco hall. Hemings is trying to understand the incident as a "miracle''. Rafi answers him that if he wants to understand, "he must fly''. Afterwards scenes are: Landing in El Arish, Egyptian soldiers surround Rafi who says he wants to talk to Nasser about peace, a conversation with the local Egyptian governor about the rights of the people of Israel over the Land of Israel, the flight back to Tel Aviv, the welcome reception, mass and imaginary in part, to a hero carried on hands.

After the conversation between Roy and Rafi, we hear from the disco hall a radio announcer, who tells about a village where a dragon threatens its inhabitants. Out of nowhere a hero arrives with the aim of killing him and succeeds using a paper sword. In a tragic turn, the villagers kill the hero, as they no longer need him. The real "hero journey" is not done by someone who aspires to be a hero, but is shaped in retrospect by the masses.

Yehoram receives a military draft order. The war begins, with lengthy documentary scenes, which perpetuate the historical events, even though they seem seemingly irrelevant to the plot. The tanks go into action, in a battle scene of occupying Rafah. A small bird standing on a branch shaking in the wind is combined between this sections. The plot soundtrack is replaced by voices from the military radio instruments. The scenes of the charging tanks are combined with the scenes of the fighting and wounded warriors and especially with the heroic story of the warrior Yossi, which is the dramatic climax of the film. Although the air force does not appear in the war scenes, this does not detract from its triumphant aura.

At the end of the film, at six after the war, Roy accidentally walks to a minefield. Despite Rafi's warnings, he steps on a mine and is killed. Before his death, Rafi's sentence resonates in his mind: '' Do you want to understand? Fly''. Then his early recording from the beginning of the film about the paradoxical situation in Israel is heard again. Is is heard against the background of the passenger plane taking off with the coffin. In the last scene, Yehoram and Rafi say goodbye to each other in the terminal.

"Every Bastard is a King" puts a mirror in front of Israeli society on the eve of the Six Day War. It present a fascinating correlation between the spirit of the period and the character of the individual pilot. The film explore aerial consciousness versus aerial awareness. The first state of consciousness is that of Rafi, who sees in aviation the appearance of everything. The second is that of Roy, who sees aviation as a non-binding awareness. Yehoram presents the critical intermediate figure.

At the same time, the film explores two types of dialectics: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal dialectic seeks, out of an existential habit for what is on the surface, the earthly. The vertical dialectic strives, from a line of ideological assumptions, upwards, to the sublime. There are scenes in the film that highlight the gap between the two types of dialectics. For example, Eileen, who has no true national identity, has relationships with the three men. The personal scenes can also be defined as "prelimimary" and show an indistinguishable duration. In contrast, the aviation and war scenes are "symbolic", as they present awareness and order.

The film create a deconstruction of the Israeli reality. It dismantles and challenges the structural structure on which the state is based. The film glorify the aviation myth, which allows each person independent spiritual clarity, regardless of the stereotype of the knighty fighter pilot.