Cinematography:
Mikel Cee KarlssonCast:
Maximilien Van Aertryck (narrator), Joe Biden (a.f.), Donald Trump (a.f.), Kim Jong Un (a.f.), Adolf Hitler (a.f.), Benito Mussolini (a.f.) (more)Plots(1)
A meticulous dissection of image-making and a mapping of its movement through society, directors Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck use a mind-boggling array of archival footage to collage this sociological study by tracking the transmogrification of photographic philosophy and technology over human history. Weaving and contrasting some of the most iconic, harrowing, and viral images in our collective memory with user-generated footage that transports the viewer through time, space, and experience, Danielson and Van Aertryck intricately fashion an argument about how humans see ourselves that feels rigorous, learned, and current. The signature analytical style this directing duo developed collaborating on shorts maps beautifully to this, their directorial debuts, arriving them to the features sphere with intellectual verve and universally accessible breadth. Their efforts to contextualize consequential imagery and trace its propagation feels critically vital in the current climate of slippery truths and altered realities. Balancing critical examination with delightful surprises, they put their footage in cacophonous, lively, enlightening conversation. For a film concerned with the construction of image, Fantastic Machine does that very thing with smarts, humor, and great stamina. (Sundance Film Festival)
(more)Cast
Maximilien Van Aertryck (narrator)
France
Joe Biden (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Death to 2021 (2021) (TV movie) - a.f.
Donald Trump (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
When They See Us (2019) (series) - a.f.
Snowden (2016) - a.f.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Kim Jong Un (a.f.)
North Korea
Adolf Hitler (a.f.)
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Dangerous: The Short Films (1993) (video compilation) - a.f.
The King's Speech (2010) - a.f.
Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) (TV movie) - a.f.
Benito Mussolini (a.f.)
Italy
Best movies:
Monsieur Verdoux (1947) - a.f.
A Special Day (1977) - a.f.
Lune froide (1991) - a.f.
Vladimir Putin (a.f.)
Soviet Union
Best movies:
Snowden (2016) - a.f.
Brexit (2019) (TV movie) - a.f.
Angel Has Fallen (2019) - a.f.
Barack Obama (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Snowden (2016) - a.f.
Patriots Day (2016) - a.f.
This Must Be the Place (2011)
Bruce Lee (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Too Late for Divorce (1956)
The Orphan (1960)
Golden Gate Girl (1941)
Leni Riefenstahl (a.f.)
German Empire
Best movies:
White Hell of Pitz Palu (1929)
LENI (2015) (theatrical recording) - a.f.
The Holy Mountain (1926)
Xi Jinping (a.f.)
China
Emmanuel Macron (a.f.)
France
Best movies:
Notre Dame on Fire (2022)
France (2021) - a.f.
George Stephanopoulos (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Truth (2015) - a.f.
Ted Turner (a.f.)
USA
Best movies:
Gettysburg (1993)
The Slugger's Wife (1985)
Gods and Generals (2003)