And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine / Fantastic Machine

Beginning with a moment of amazement as a woman experiences the effect of the camera obscura in her bedroom, "And the King Said, What a Fantastic Machine" casts an eye upon the fascination, horror, and power of images, from the early days of moving images to today's webcams, cell phone cameras, and ubiquitous photos on social media. By means of a complex collage of images, directors Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck journey from the early days of cinema and iconic moments in world history to shared private images on YouTube, news visuals of disturbing violence, viral influencer stunts, and the images that have been sent into space as a greeting card from humanity to distant civilisations. A critical, thought-provoking, and at the same time entertaining look at our medialised world – and an attempt to gain an overview of the visual jungle in which the magic of images entangles us.