Re-imagining place, home and belonging Up in the Air

Abstract

By offering a close reading of Jason Reitman’s film Up in the Air (2009), the demands on and the invisibility of place, home and belonging in the contemporary moment of global mobility are explored. How do we re-imagine place, home and belonging in the ‘mobility turn’ and, in particular, mass commercial air travel? By examining the interrelated relationship between place and non-place, mobility and immobility, home and the homeless, flux and stasis, the analysis attempts to show the relational and contingent nature of social and geographical interactions ‘up in the air’. It is proposed that even the most intrepid travellers grow weary of the road and want to return home.

Keywords:

• global operators
• home
• mass air travel
• mobility
• non-places
• omnitopia
• place
• privileged homeless
• Up in the Air

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amanda du Preez

Amanda du Preez is Professor at Visual Culture Studies, Department of Visual Arts, University of Pretoria.