What is life? This film is a nuanced and playful philosophical reflection on that question. The narrative thread concerns Marius, a young giraffe in a Danish zoo whose planned euthanasia sparked global outrage a decade ago.
A Danish zoo decided to kill a perfectly healthy, young giraffe and feed it to the lions in front of visiting children. This angered thousands of people all over the world, from PETA activists to Hollywood movie stars . Max Kestner takes this peculiar story as a starting point of a beautifully edited film-essay that tries to shed some light on one of the eternal existential questions: what is life? Much like the film, which avoids a decisive conclusion, our conversation with Max and philosoper Bernice Bovenkerk will probably provide no clear answer. We promise, however, to spark your curiosity and uplift your spirits.
About the speakers
Dr. Bernice Bovenkerk (1973) is associate professor at the Social Sciences Group, department of Communication, Philosophy, Technology, and Education (CPTE) of Wageningen University. Previously she was post-doc and lecturer at the Ethics Institute at the Department of Philosophy of Utrecht University. She received her PhD from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
Max Kestner (1969) is a Danish documentary maker. His films Dreams in Copenhagen (2009), I am Fiction (2012) and Amateurs in Space (2016) have all been selected for a number of international festivals.
IDFA x De Balie
Overwhelmed by the vast selection of documentaries at IDFA? De Balie curates a selection of six remarkable films that together cover a wide range of burning contemporary issues. Each of these documentaries has been chosen for its outspoken artistic vision. But most importantly, we’ve selected these films because they provoke conversation. We invite thinkers, artists and experts on stage after the screening to deepen our understanding of what we’ve seen.
The best of IDFA selected by De Balie from November 14 till 24
The best of IDFA selected by De Balie from November 14 till 24
Survey interviewer Amber Kumar Gurung travels through the heart of Bhutan with a questionnaire, assessing the well-being of his compatriots.
Terrifying account of the rise and enormous political influence of evangelical fundamentalism in Brazil.
