In the relentless energy of this short film, every frame presents a different view of a bank building in Frankfurt. The bank is always more or less central, although seen from different angles, distances, and even upside down, so the overall effect is of a dizzying chaos surrounding a central point. At times there is an amazing sensation of whirling around the bank at top speed.
The soundtrack consists of repeated electronic dissections of a man’s voice saying “Our power is boundless and our means are inexhaustible” (in German). It sounds as if the sentence were being bombarded by a stream of electrons in a scanning microscope, which makes it a perfect accompanyment to the images. The whole film, sound and image together, is orchestrated in an intelligent and rhythmically compelling manner.
This film may or may not make an ironic statement about banking in Frankfurt, but it certainly creates a compelling and thrillingly visceral vision of an urban landscape.
FIVE SHORT FILMS BY THORSTEN FLEISCH ^This film is part of the series of “Five Short Films by Thorsten Fleisch.” These five short films all explore Fleisch’s obsession with creating dialogues between the human body and machines. Read all of the reviews including HEIMWERKER (HIGH TECH), VIDEOHAUT (VIDEO SKIN), K.I.L.L., BLUTRAUSCH (BLOODLUST), HAUTNAH (SKINFLICK).
