Instant Life

The three films you will see are shot-for-shot reproductions of the compilation film INSTANT LIFE (1981). Each film in INSTANT LIFE (1981) was a remake of an earlier film also called INSTANT LIFE (1941). The earlier INSTANT LIFE (1941) was a single film, not a compilation.
In 2017, we decided to recreate INSTANT LIFE (1981). We did not attempt to recreate INSTANT LIFE (1941) because that Instant Life is lost. INSTANT LIFE (1941) was a silent film presented with live musical accompaniment. After the show, audience members received a printed riddle. INSTANT LIFE (1981) is a sound film. The riddle is part of the film. No answer to the riddle exists.

Anja Dornieden and Juan David González Monroy are filmmakers based in Berlin. They work together under the moniker OJOBOCA. They have presented their films and performances at various art institutions such as the Österreichische Filmmuseum, Vienna, Anthology Film Archives, New York, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Kunstverein München, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing as well as in international festivals. Both Dornieden and González Monroy are members of the artist-run film lab LaborBerlin. Their films HELIOPOLIS HELIOPOLIS (2017) and HER NAME WAS EUROPA (2020) premiered at previous editions of Forum Expanded.

Andrew Kim is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at a variety of festivals in Ann Arbor, Rotterdam, Toronto, and Buenos Aires, as well as in venues such as UnionDocs, New York and Los Angeles Filmforum. He teaches filmmaking at the California Institute of the Arts and helps manage the Echo Park Film Center, a non-profit media arts center.

Production Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy. Production company OJOBOCA GbR (Berlin, Germany). Written and directed by Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy, Andrew Kim. Cinematography Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy, Andrew Kim. Editing Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy, Andrew Kim. Music Anja Dornieden, Juan David González Monroy, Andrew Kim. Sound design Andrew Kim, Christian Obermaier. Sound Andrew Kim. With Alee Peoples (Voice).

Films

Anja Dornieden and Juan David González Monroy: 2011: Awe Shocks (3 min.). 2012: Oro Parece (6 min.), The Handeye (Bone Ghosts) (7 min.), Eigenheim (16 min.). 2013: A flea‘s skin would be too big for you (47 min.), Come and Dance with Me (4 min.). 2014: Gente Perra (25 min.), Wolkenschatten (17 min.). 2015: The Masked Monkeys (30 min.). 2016: Heliopolis Heliopolis (26 min., Forum Expanded 2017). 2018: Comfort Stations (26 min.), The Skin is Good (12 min.). 2020: Her Name was Europa (76 min., Forum Expanded 2020). 2022: Enthusiasm (8 min.), Natural Human (31 min.), Instant Life.

Andrew Kim: 2011: Colon, Michigan (16 min.). 2012: Some Unseen Lights (5 min.), Standards of Perfection (9 min.). 2013: On the Feasibility of Light Amplification (5 min.), Will o’ the Wisp (24 min.). 2015: Society of Motion (3 min.), The Peacock (11 min.). 2016: Temples It Knows No Longer (7 min.), (I) Frame (11 min.). 2017: Hour of Pearl (7 min.). 2022: Instant Life.