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Laughing at the Absurd

Trauma

Humour as a weapon of the soul

Humour is a vital coping strategy in response to trauma and oppression. Freud famously categorised humour as a 'mature' defence mechanism that allows the ego to refuse to be distressed by reality. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl observed that in Auschwitz, humour was a 'weapon of the soul' used to create a crucial detachment from suffering. By finding comedy inside the worst of circumstances, humour has allowed communities to maintain dignity, humanity and solidarity when all other forms of power have been stripped away.

Clips

  • The Last Laugh (2016)

    Director: Ferne Pearlstein.

    Pearlstein's documentary examines whether the Holocaust can be a subject for comedy, interviewing comedians and survivors about where the line falls and who gets to draw it. Can you laugh at the worst thing that ever happened? The comedians and survivors interviewed argue not only that you can, but that the refusal to laugh is itself a form of surrender.

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  • Life is Beautiful (1997)

    Director: Roberto Benigni.

    When the Nazi guard starts barking out harsh, terrifying orders, Guido knows his son is about to be traumatised. He immediately jumps in and 'translates' the aggressive German commands into the rules of a silly game. By doing this, he completely strips the guard of his power. Instead of the guard's words being a threat of death, they become the rules of an imaginary contest.

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  • Eretz Nehederet, 'Red Cross Humanitarian Response' (2025)

    Creators: David Lifshitz and Asaf Shalmon.

    Eretz Nehederet (A Wonderful Country) is Israel's premiere satirical sketch show. In this sketch the Red Cross is portrayed as a bad Uber service for hostages. The Red Cross staff act like gig workers who are constantly finding excuses to cancel the ride — complaining and citing petty protocol to avoid actually picking anyone up. By turning their failure to provide basic humanitarian aid into the transactional, indifferent behaviour of a bad Uber driver, the Red Cross is stripped of their moral authority.

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