TOK Exhibition

7. What are the implications of having, or not having, knowledge?

Word Count: 923

Object #1 The Lovers on the Bridge (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf)1

The Lovers on the Bridge is a 1991 French romantic drama film directed by Leos Carax2. I
watched the screening during the Vilnius movie festival Kino Pavasaris.

Set on the under-construction Pont Neuf in Paris, the storyline follows two homeless characters:
Michèle, an artist losing her sight, and Alex, an addict and street performer. As their relationship
escalates, Alex’s fear of abandonment leads him to conceal the news of a potential cure for
Michèle’s blindness, highlighting themes of love, control and autonomy.

1
A screenshot from the movie The Lovers on the Bridge (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf), directed by
Leos Carax, Les Films du Losange, 1991.
2
Wikipedia Contributors. (2025, January 23). Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. Wikipedia; Wikimedia
Foundation.

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Michèle’s blindness is both literal and symbolic. Alex holds crucial knowledge about the
possibility of her regaining her sight, yet he hides it. He is fully aware that revealing this
information could alter the course of her life - and that is exactly why he withholds it. Alex,
driven by fear and insecurity, becomes possessive over Michèle, confusing love with control.
This reflects Kantian ethics, which states that people should never be used merely to serve others
needs.3 By withholding crucial knowledge, Alex fails to respect Michèle’s autonomy, denying
her dignity, and prioritizing his own emotional comfort.

By hiding the truth, Alex deprives Michèle of the freedom to make her own decisions. This
demonstrates how powerful knowledge can be - when in the hands of one person, it can be easily
used to control those who lack it. Her physical vulnerability and lack of information keep her
dependent on him, showing how not having knowledge can make an individual susceptible to
control or manipulation, which can mean losing the ability to make unconstrained choices.

Ultimately, The Lovers on the Bridge illustrates how lacking knowledge, especially when it is
intentionally withheld, can leave you not only vulnerable and dependent but also deprive you of
autonomy. It reminds us how having knowledge relates to the ability to live freely and make
empowered choices.

3
BBC. (2014). BBC - Ethics - Introduction to ethics: An end-in-itself. [Link].

2
Object #2 The Fall of Man (Titian)4

The Fall of Man (c. 1550) is a religious painting by Titian, depicting the biblical story of Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Referencing Genesis 3:6, it portrays the moment Eve and Adam
commit the original act of disobedience against God.5 This symbolizes a shift in the human
condition.

Before, Adam and Eve lived in a state where only good existed and evil was unknown. Yet,
tempted by the desire for wisdom, they chose to act on their own judgment rather than God’s
command. This reflects the aspiration to be like God, knowing good and evil.6 However, this

4
Adam and Eve – The Collection – Museo Nacional del Prado. The Fall of Man by Titian (c.
1550). Retrieved from [Link].
5
Titian: The Fall of Man. (n.d.). [Link].
6
Genesis 3:6 - The Serpent’s Deception. (n.d). Bible Hub.

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knowledge brought sin, guilt and suffering. This marks a turning point where they turn away
from divine authority and begin shaping their own moral understanding.

The Fall of Man captures the implications of both having and lacking knowledge. Innocence
protected Adam and Eve from guilt and pain but limited autonomy and awareness. Gaining
knowledge made them conscious of themselves and the world, but at a cost. “The desire for
wisdom reflects humanity’s ongoing quest to understand the world around us and ourselves”
(Christianity Path, n.d.), even when that means stepping away from certainty. This shows that
humans are truly independent when they can choose not just good, but also evil. This is what
makes choices meaningful – goodness is no longer something natural, but something we
consciously take responsibility for.

To conclude, the painting reflects how knowledge encourages growth and awareness, yet brings
regret, responsibility and hurt. Awareness isn’t just acquiring knowledge – it forces individuals to
inevitably judge, choose and carry the consequences of those choices. The Fall of Man touches
on the true human condition, showing how gaining knowledge not only expands understanding
but also demands that we navigate the responsibility and accountability that comes with it.

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Object #3 Rehearsal at Roko Maršas 1996 Festival. Kaunas, Lithuania.7

This is an image from my mother’s personal photobook, taken during the 1996 Roko Maršas
rock festival. Revived after Lithuania regained independence in 1990, the event carried the
slogan “Mums ne vis vien8”, seen above the stage, reflecting the central idea of the event: to
promote civic participation and involvement in social problems.9 Although this image was taken
after the restoration of independence, the festival has a much deeper history, reaching back to
Lithuania under Soviet regime.

Originally held between 1987 and 1989, during Soviet occupation, these events sparked the
cultural and political awakening of Lithuanian society. Soviet authorities feared rock for
symbolizing rebellion, free thought, and Western influence, hence, it was strictly censored.

7
Rehearsal at Roko Maršas 1996 Festival, Kaunas, Lithuania. Personal photograph from my
family album, provided by my mother.
8
Mums ne vis vien - It’s not all the same to us

9
Wikipedia Contributors. (2025, May 12). Roko maršas. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

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However, as censorship weakened in the late Soviet years, rock music emerged as a powerful
force uniting Lithuanians, which helped to raise awareness, unity and responsibility.10

During these events, Sąjūdis11 representatives openly spoke about silenced topics, such as the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet deportations and the return of banned national symbols.12
This way, Roko Maršas helped reintroduce Lithuania's suppressed history back into the public
eye, making knowledge itself an act of resistance.

Roko Maršas serves as an example of how knowledge can reveal the implications of its absence
and power resistance. It helped to reinvoke the message of Lithuanian identity, the injustices of
Soviet control and most importantly - the possibility of change, empowering citizens to resist
oppression. It gave the public a renewed sense of action, showing that they didn’t have to accept
the regime’s imposed rules..

Ultimately, music is more than entertainment – it can act as a platform for mobilization, showing
that with awareness and knowledge, individuals gain power. Without knowledge, a society risks
ignorance and passivity, but with its presence, people can drive change by mobilizing people to
reclaim freedom.

10
Kuklytė, B. (2008, January 24). ROCK MARCHES IN LITHUANIA IN 1987-1989. A GLANCE
AT THE SINGING REVOLUTION. 23, 1.
11
Sąjūdis - The Reform Movement of Lithuania
12
Kuklytė, B. (2008, January 24). ROCK MARCHES IN LITHUANIA IN 1987-1989. A GLANCE
AT THE SINGING REVOLUTION. 23, 1.

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 Works Cited

Wikipedia Contributors. (2025b, January 23). Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. Wikipedia; Wikimedia
Foundation. [Link]
The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) | MUBI. (2025). MUBI.
[Link]
The Lovers on the Bridge - Kinopavasaris. (2025, April). Kinopavasaris.
[Link]
BBC. (2014). BBC - Ethics - Introduction to ethics: An end-in-itself. [Link].

[Link]

Genesis 3:6 - The Serpent’s Deception. (n.d). Bible Hub. [Link]

Wikipedia Contributors. (2025c, May 12). Roko maršas. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
[Link]
Kuklytė, B. (2008, January 24). ROCK MARCHES IN LITHUANIA IN 1987-1989. A GLANCE
AT THE SINGING REVOLUTION. 23, 1.
[Link]
[Link]
Kuo mums svarbios dainų šventės ir roko maršai? – Opiq. (2018). [Link].
[Link]
Kelias į laisvę. Dainuojanti revoliucija | Kalnų parkas (1987.07.06). (2022). [Link].
[Link]
nu-parkas-1987-07-06?season=%2Fradioteka%2Flaida%2Fkelias-i-laisve%2F2022