And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine
Sweden/Denmark, 2023, 85’
in Swedish/English/French/German/Arabic w/ Arm./Eng. subtitles
Directors, Scriptwriters, and Producers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck
Cinematographers: Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck
Editors: Mikel Cee Karlsson, Axel Danielson, Maximilien Van Aertryck
Sound: Anne Gry Kristiansen
Production Companies: Bullitt Film Kopenhagen/Film i Väst Trollhättan/Sveriges Television Stockholm
And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine is a plunge into the vast historic ocean of media culture. From the birth of the camera obscura to the screening of the first moving picture and from the invention of the webcam to the first viral video, the witty and thought-provoking documentary chases the rise of image culture as we know it. By collaging historic archive material of great dictators parading in front of cheering crowds with home videos, live-streaming content, and clips of thrill-seekers hanging out at the top of a skyscraper, or harrowing press photography exhibiting violence, it offers an emblematic study of cinema and the social history it creates: What are the implications of being exposed to the billions of images competing for our attention?
Axel Danielson
Born in Vittskövle, Sweden in 1976, Axel Danielson studied film at the Valand Academy in Gothenburg and joined the Swedish production company Plattform Produktion in 2013. He has been working closely with Maximilien Van Aertryck ever since, both being involved in the creation of their joint films as director/producer and cinematographer/editor. Their short film Hopptornet screened in Berlinale Shorts in 2016. And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine is their debut feature-length film.
Maximilien Van Aertryck
Born in Paris, France in 1989, Maximilien Van Aertryck has collaborated with Axel Danielson as part of the Swedish production company Plattform Produktion since 2013. The pair has made several short films together which premiered at festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Aspen, and Sundance. Their film Hopptornet screened in the 2016 Berlinale Shorts, won over 30 international awards, was shortlisted for an Oscar in 2017, and was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Joint filmography
Second Deputy Speaker (2015), Because the World Never Stops (2016), Extra Material (2016), Hopptornet (Ten Meter Tower, 2016), Jobs for All! (2021), And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine (2023).