Das Gestell

A Japanese philosopher writes a letter to a famous German colleague. He asks the German to advise the Japanese people how to deal with the permeation of modern life by technology. More than 50 years later, the same issues are being discussed among academics and aspiring engineers. It is hard to grasp how humans and technology continue to coexist.

In the grainy images of the film, landscapes from an uncertain time appear, occasionally flooded by water and a cacophony of brass players. The uncontrollable finds its ways into a world that tries to minimise risks and thus creates new dangers.

Main Festivals & Awards

Image Forum Festival (2017)
International Film Festival Rotterdam (2017)
CPH:DOX (2017)

Director's Biography

Philip Widmann, born in West-Berlin in 1980, graduated in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Hamburg and in Visual Communications from the University of Fine Arts Hamburg. His works have been shown in art spaces and film festivals, among them the Wexner Center for the Arts, WRO Biennale Wroclaw, Berlin Film Festival, Rotterdam International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Mostra São Paulo, FID Marseille, CPH:DOX and Visions du Réel.