The ‘Zone’ as Heterotopia in Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker

Abstract

In this article, I approach Tarkovsky’s depiction of the ‘Zone’, from the film ‘Stalker’. I argue that the ‘Zone’ is a heterotopia. Firstly, I review the perspectives developed by Foucault, Deleuze, and Tarkovsky which are relevant to my argument. Next, I emphasize the connections that could be ascertained between Foucault’s ‘hetero-topology’ and Tarkovsky’s portrayal of the ‘Zone’, using Deleuze’s ‘cinematic philosophy’. Afterward, I compare the ‘Zone’s’ characteristics with the features attributed to heterotopias by Foucault in his ‘hetero-topology’. I conclude that the ‘Zone’, just like the ship, could be considered a heterotopia par excellence.