HELLO DANKNESS
by Rose Finlay

Soda Jerk, Australia 2022

Following the controversial TERROR NULLIUS (2018), which was disowned by the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission which had funded it, for being “un-Australian”, the Australian sibling artistic duo has taken on modern US politics with HELLO DANKNESS. Cleverly editing scenes from popular Hollywood films as well as news footage, a satirical and multifaceted retelling of the major events of the past several years emerges. The audience is taken on a journey from before the 2016 US presidential election and beyond, touching on other major events such as #MeToo, the pandemic, and the popular conspiracies that have arisen.

Perhaps one of the most unique artistic creations of the festival, HELLO DANKNESS is a prescient and sometimes laugh-out-loud satire that doesn’t pull any punches. It is an editing masterclass as Soda Jerk has painstakingly stitched together and manipulated scenes from popular films, speeches, and even memes to create a cohesive narrative of the past several years. From a purely technical standpoint, the film is a refreshing example of how there are still so many opportunities for filmmakers to create unique and powerful art using the medium of film. Soda Jerk have certainly created something wildly different stylistically and for that alone, the film deserves a watch. Unfortunately, the content is nothing more than a typical trite progressive liberal comedy which does little to bring out new perspectives or truths. At a certain point it tips from satire to pretentiousness, something from which it doesn’t ever recover. Nevertheless, it is a technically original and oftentimes amusing little feature and one that is worth a watch, though considering the complicated copyright aspects of the film with all of the re-editing, it is unlikely to be found outside of niche screenings on the festival circuit.