Year: 2024
Director: Max Kestner
Writer: Max Kestner
Producer: Vibeke Vogel
Co-producer: Axel Danielson, John Archer, Maximilien Van Aertyck
Executive Producers: Mark Thomas
Production Company: Bullitt Film, Plattform Produktion, Hopscotch Films
Screen Scotland support: The documentary accessed £75,000 through Screen Scotland’s Broadcast Content Fund to support this ambitious European co-production, co-produced by John Archer of Glasgow-based production company Hopscotch Films.
Synopsis
The meaning of life, death and everything else? The possible answers are plenty in Max Kestner's adventurous film, which starts when the death of a giraffe at the Copenhagen Zoo goes viral from Hollywood to Chechnya.
When Marius the giraffe was euthanised by the Copenhagen Zoo 10 years ago, the news went viral from Hollywood to Chechnya. But it was also the first domino to fall in the sprawling forest of existential questions Max Kestner asks himself (and us) in his new and wonderfully adventurous film. What is life? Does consciousness exist? Where does love come from? And last but not least: How does it all fit together – like, really?
With curiosity and an open mind, Kestner embarks on a philosophical journey around the world to find answers to his questions. Scientists such as Charles Foster and Eske Willerslev contribute, and even though each question spawns to three new ones, you nevertheless learn more about the big and small connections of the universe along the way.
What could have ended up as the most pretentious film of all time has instead become possibly the most fun, creative and completely unpredictable experience of the year. Because even though the scale is cosmic, Max Kestner’s attention is always on the curious detail.
More information
Life & Other Problems will have its World Premiere as the Opening Night film at CPH: Dox on 12 March 2024.
Image: Still from Life & Other Problems, courtesy of Jacob Sofussen