Commerce

Daniel McIntyre / Canada / 2023 / Czech Premiere / 6 min.

synopsis

A briskly sarcastic essay about the layoffs of rank-and-file workers whose jobs are replaced by machines, it combines hand-crafted 16mm film with artificial intelligence, machine learning and the voices of influential figures presenting vomitous managerial monologues in verse. While the audio speeches build a dam against moral scruples, the CEOs responsible for “bad decisions” on behalf of the company are exposed and stripped by the images.

“Art and commerce both require labor to make products for their respective markets. Creators do not control the markets that sell their work, which does not value labour. Experimental film is not considered collectible by the wealthy, making it unviable for the art market.”

biography

Canadian artist Daniel McIntyre (born 1986) graduated from York University and completed his studies with Elder (2017), an essayistic travelogue tracing the legacy of the Vikings in Scandinavia. He works with handmade film and experimental video. Ji.hlava IDFF screened his films Bikini (2015), The Weight of Snow (2014) and Exhumation (2018). He often collaborates with composer Mark Savoia on his films.