Hello Dankness

Panorama 2023

The phenomenon that the context in which images are seen determines both the way in which they are perceived and their effect is impressively demonstrated by the artistic duo Soda Jerk in their latest work Hello Dankness. By assembling scenes from various films in new contexts, partially manipulating them and combining them with new soundtracks, Soda Jerk create an unexpected narrative about the profound changes in US society since Trump’s presidency. Images from the media in recent years – from the 2016 US elections, the pandemic and the #MeToo debate – are cleverly integrated into scenes from films such as American Beauty and Wayne’s World. As a result of this playful combination with borrowings from pop culture, the film constantly develops new and absurd twists. Using only found footage, Soda Jerk have created a refreshingly anarchistic and multi-layered work that explores topics such as fake news, deepfakes and conspiracy narratives but also the politics of images: how they spread, whom they serve or harm and how they are permanently subject to reinterpretation.

by Soda Jerk Australia 2022 English 70’ Colour

Crew

Director	Soda Jerk
Screenplay	Soda Jerk
Editing	Soda Jerk
Sound Design	Soda Jerk, Sam Smith
Art Director	Soda Jerk
Producer	Soda Jerk

Produced by

Soda Jerk

http://sodajerk.com.au http://sodajerk.com.au

Photos

Soda Jerk

Dan and Dominique Angeloro were born in Sydney, Australia in 1977 and 1979 respectively. In 2002, they co-founded Soda Jerk. They make experimental documentaries that focus on the politics of images. In 2018, their political revenge fable Terror Nullius was heralded by the “Guardian” newspaper as one of the best Australian films of the decade. Their work has won numerous international awards including at festivals in London, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, Seoul and Hong Kong.

Filmography

2005 The Phoenix Portal; short film 2006 Hollywood Burn; medium-length film 2007 Astro Black; short film 2009 After the Rainbow; short film 2012 The Time that Remains; short film 2016 The Was; short film 2018 Terror Nullius; medium-length film 2022 Hello Dankness

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023