Car chase on the French Riviera

Humans may scale the highest mountains, plunge into the deepest seas, and soar beyond the blue veil of the atmosphere, driven by the belief that they are the first to arrive at the scene. They act as though the world reveals itself solely for their discovery, as if everything available to their senses exists merely to be claimed, named, and possessed. And if met with resistance—whether from nature’s forces or human opposition—they believe they have the right to conquer, subdue, and, if necessary, enslave.

Yet, they scarcely consider that they are never truly the first. Long before their footsteps press into the earth or their vessels cut through the sea, they are preceded by the slow, imperceptible labor of geological time, by the ancient choreography of tides and winds, by the unseen networks of roots and fungi stitching the soil together. The gravitational pull of the planet, the immutable laws of physics, and the delicate balance of ecosystems all frame their existence. These are the terms and conditions that subtend the volition of humans, the objective context that cradles their fate.

Consider a car chase on the long, winding roads of the French Riviera, often depicted in movies as a thrilling, high-stakes battle between enemies racing against time. The pursuit is marked by screeching tires, gunfire, and heart-pounding suspense. Yet, beneath the frenzy of human conflict, it is the land itself that takes center stage. It is the topography of the seaside hills that is highlighted, the cliffsides that are accentuated by headlights and taillights speeding on ribbons of asphalt, the rolling monticules that are emphasized by the jagged run of furtive trails. It is not the chase itself that defines the scene, but the land that it traverses. In other words, it is the backdrop that shapes the narrative, reminding us that human action is always entwined with, and dependent upon, the greater forces that precede and sustain it. It is ultimately the supporting land, understood as a community, that is given expression by the filigree of human activity.