THE STORY OF TECHNOVIKING

DONATE
documentary film, 2015/16, 50min short edit & 90min full edit

What if the world invents a hero from your image but you don't want that?

"The Story of Technoviking" is a case study on a successful meme, one of the early viral videos on YouTube. The example shows the contemporary situation where user behavior gets in conflict with more than 100 years old laws that our legal system is based on.

The documentary follows the phenomenon of the Technoviking Meme over 15 years from an experimental art film to a viral video that inspired an internet community to the creation of an art figure, thousands of remixes, besides countless other forms of reactions, and finally put the producer of the original artifact into the court room. Originally filmed in public space at a political demonstration and shared many million users, the clip's images can't be removed anymore from the collective memory nor be deleted from the servers that are located all around the world.

More than 20 Interviews with artist, lawyers, academics and fans mix their opinions with a big variety of online reactions and show the dilemma that is created when our fundamental right of the protection of our personality is in conflict with our fundamental right of free speech. And how can one make a film on a subject, that is not allowed to be publicly shown?

[Directors Statement] Today almost every citizen is represented in the social media, for example with a Facebook account. There to publish, share and forward audiovisual material is a default behavior. And by this condition so is the violation of rights by third parties. Because of the massive amount of shared content most of these violations are not even detected. Only a small percentage ends up in front of a judge. But is the court room really the place to discuss new cultural phenomena like internet memes for example? How can a better way be achieved to deal with this new culture and the new behavior of citizens? What is the direction that our culture and society needs to develop in the future?

For more information on the meme goto the
TECHNOVIKING ARCHIVE

List of interviewees in alphabetical order:

Moritz Baßler
Professor of New German Literature at Münster University

Christian Bauckhage
Researcher of Media Informatics at
Fraunhofer Institute and Professor at University of Bonn

Wafaa Bilal
Artist, Ass. Professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts

Ilja Braun
Author & Journalist; interviewed Matthias Fritsch for carta.info

Antonio Broumas
Digital Rights Attorney, Digital Liberation Network

Michael Brynntrup
Film maker & Professor of Film & Video at HBK, Braunschweig

Paolo Cirio
Artist, Italy

Ross Dewees
Underground Intellectual, New York City

Heinz Drügh
Professor of New German Literature and Aesthetics
at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main

Magnus Eriksson
Sociologist, Founder of Piratbyrån, FAT Lab Member Gothenburg

Fil Ieropoulos
Film & Media Lecturer, Buckinghamshire New University

Geraldine Juarez
Artist & FAT Lab Fellow, Mexico / Sweden

Alessandro Ludovico
Artist, Italy

Ilias Marmaras
Media Artist, Athens

Armin Mostoffi
CEO, Bash Events, Berlin

Domenico Quaranta
Art Critic and Curator, Link Art Center, Italy

Birgit Richard
Director of the Archive of European Youth Cultures,
Professor at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main

Marc Ries
Professor of Sociology and Theory of the Media in Offenbach

SAsemi
Theatrologist, It Girl, Athens

Oliver Schmid
Musician, Berlin

Aris Sklavos
Theatrologist and Performer

Louisa Specht
Personality Rights Expert, ZAR Karlsruhe

Felix Stalder
Professor of Digital Culture and Net Theory in Zürich

Prodromos Tsiavos
Legal Adviser, Greek Free Open Source Software Society, Athens

Wolfgang Ullrich
Professor of Art History & Media Philosophy, Karlsruhe

John H. Weitzmann
Fritsch's defense attorney at court of appeal
Lawyer at iRights.Law, Berlin

Maxa Zoller
Film Curator, Cairo

And others at the streets of Berlin, Taipei
and at the Athens Biennale

The work on the film wouldn't be possible with the generous support of these people:

Accociate producer: Marc Kanzenbach

Donors: Achilleas Kentonis, Akeli Mieland, Aksioma - Institute for Contemporary Art, Alessandro Drescher, Alessandro Ludovico, Alex Kozina, Alexander Bootz, Alexander Lacher, Alexander Lauert, Alexander Schibalsky, Alexandros Salapatas, Almut Ilsen, Anastasia Chrysanthakopoulou, Andreas Hübner, Andreas Huth, Andreas Kotes, Andreas Krüger, Andreas Schuster, Angela de Weijer, Anna Heinzig, Annabel Lange, Annet Dekker, Antonio Gonzales Paucar, Arjon Dunnewind, Armin Mobasseri, Barbara Seelig, Benjamin Meier, Benjamin Zierock, Carmen Billows, Carmen von Schöning, Carsten Stabenow, Carsten Wagner, Carsten Wilhelm, Chris Piallat, Christian Bucher, Christian Claus, Christian Palmizi, Christoph Knoth, Christoph Schwerdtle, Christoph Wermke, Christoph Willems, Chrysovalantou Karga, Claudia Schuster, Claudia Wittmann, Clemens Lerche, Clemens Wistuba, Dale Greer, Daniel Fabry, Daniel Krönke, Daniel Memhardt, Daniel Rakete Siegel, Daphne Dragona, David Schmidt, David Wnendt, Davinder Sandal, Dieter Sellin, Dieter Vandoren, Dina Boswank, Dirk Unger, Dominik Halmer, Dorna Safaian, Ed Marszewski, Eduard Stürmer, Elias Scheideler, Elizabeth Wurst, Elvira Heise, EMAF Festival, Eno Henze, Eugen Wasin, Evgenia Palla, Federico Bassetti, Federico Missio, Fee Plumley, Felix Dittmar, Felix Grünschloß, Felix Herrmann, Felix Vorreiter, Florian Blum, Florian Geierstanger, Frank Botermann, Frank Dietrich (Zechnick Himmelfaart), Franz-Josef Schmitt, Fufu Frauenwahl, Gabriele Voehringer, Geoffroy Ribaillier, Giorgio Giardina, Gordan Savicic, Guillermo Federico Heinze, Günter Kuhns, Hannah Cooke, Hannes Kiesewetter, Heidrun Fritsch, Henning Arnecke, Hermann Noering, Iain Cozens, IMPAKT Festival, Ines Wuttke, Ioannis Arvanitis, Ira Schneider, Isaak Broder, Ivan Shakhov, James Redfern, Jan Katsma, Jelena Colic, Jens Gerstenecker, Joachim Steinigeweg, Johan Weigel, Johanna Hoetjes, Johannes Fritsch, Johannes Marx, John Butler, John Deamer, Jose Diego Ferreiro, Juergen Eckloff, Julia Jochem, Julius Schall, Karolina Serafin, Katerina Gkoutziouli, Kathleen Rappolt, Katrin Duffke, Kathrin Keller, Kenny Stanger, Kieran Black, Kika Kyriakakou, Kilian Ochs, Klaus Neumann, Lars Thraene, Lea Gscheidel, Leopold Solter, Lucio Basadonne, Magdalena Vollmer, Manuela Putz, Marc Kanzenbach, Marco Melluso, Marco Trotta, Maren Kiessling, Margret Olafsdottir, Maria Konioti, Mark Braun, Markus Wende, Martin Diering, Martin Heinze, Matthew Denton, Matthias Matanovic, Maurits Boettger, Melanie Jilg, Michael M. Dreisbach, Michael Pierce, Miguel Ribeiro, Mischa Kuball, mursu909, Nadin Tettschlag, Nick Cripps, Nicolas Stumpf, Nikos Dimitrakakos, Nils Menrad, Oliver Schmid, Pat Amoesta, Patricia Röder, Patrick Krolzik, Peter Gräser, Philipp Engelhardt, Philipp Hahn, Philipp Scholz, Reimar Servas, Reinhard Bock, René Lamp, Rikard Bremark, Robert Lippok, Robert Utech, Roland Dreger, Ronald The, Ronnie Grob, Rupert Hoffschmidt, Sabine Koziol, Sam Schlatow, Sancto Russell, Sandra Fauconnier, Scott MacFiggen, Sebastian Felzmann, Sebastian Standke, Sigurd Bemme, Siim Leetberg, Simon Ruschmeyer, Sina Dunker, Sonja Möse, Stamatis Schizakis, Stefan Fischer, Stefan Frielingsdorf, Stefan Kilz, Stefan Schubert, Stefano Simone, Stephan Kaempf, Stephan Probst, Stephen Kovats, Susanna Jerger, Ted Sonnenschein, Thomas Kupser, Thomas Mühlberg, Thomas Müller, Thomas Reiner, Tidi Tiedemann, Tillmann Allmer, Tilmann Vogt, Tim Pritlove, Tim Waters, Timo Haubrich, Timo Kaerlein, Timo Steuerwald, Timothy Wenzel, Tobias Kraft, Tobias Wootton, Torsten Landsiedel, Ulf Aminde, Vijay Mirpuri (ACID BUDA), Wolfgang Fritsch, Wolfgang Senges, Wolfgang Ullrich, York Wegerhoff



	THE STORY OF TECHNOVIKING DONATE documentary film, 2015/16, 50min short edit & 90min full edit
	What if the world invents a hero from your image but you don't want that? "The Story of Technoviking" is a case study on a successful meme, one of the early viral videos on YouTube. The example shows the contemporary situation where user behavior gets in conflict with more than 100 years old laws that our legal system is based on. The documentary follows the phenomenon of the Technoviking Meme over 15 years from an experimental art film to a viral video that inspired an internet community to the creation of an art figure, thousands of remixes, besides countless other forms of reactions, and finally put the producer of the original artifact into the court room. Originally filmed in public space at a political demonstration and shared many million users, the clip's images can't be removed anymore from the collective memory nor be deleted from the servers that are located all around the world.	More than 20 Interviews with artist, lawyers, academics and fans mix their opinions with a big variety of online reactions and show the dilemma that is created when our fundamental right of the protection of our personality is in conflict with our fundamental right of free speech. And how can one make a film on a subject, that is not allowed to be publicly shown? [Directors Statement] Today almost every citizen is represented in the social media, for example with a Facebook account. There to publish, share and forward audiovisual material is a default behavior. And by this condition so is the violation of rights by third parties. Because of the massive amount of shared content most of these violations are not even detected. Only a small percentage ends up in front of a judge. But is the court room really the place to discuss new cultural phenomena like internet memes for example? How can a better way be achieved to deal with this new culture and the new behavior of citizens? What is the direction that our culture and society needs to develop in the future?
	For more information on the meme goto the TECHNOVIKING ARCHIVE
	List of interviewees in alphabetical order: Moritz Baßler Professor of New German Literature at Münster University Christian Bauckhage Researcher of Media Informatics at Fraunhofer Institute and Professor at University of Bonn Wafaa Bilal Artist, Ass. Professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Ilja Braun Author & Journalist; interviewed Matthias Fritsch for carta.info Antonio Broumas Digital Rights Attorney, Digital Liberation Network Michael Brynntrup Film maker & Professor of Film & Video at HBK, Braunschweig Paolo Cirio Artist, Italy Ross Dewees Underground Intellectual, New York City Heinz Drügh Professor of New German Literature and Aesthetics at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main Magnus Eriksson Sociologist, Founder of Piratbyrån, FAT Lab Member Gothenburg Fil Ieropoulos Film & Media Lecturer, Buckinghamshire New University Geraldine Juarez Artist & FAT Lab Fellow, Mexico / Sweden Alessandro Ludovico Artist, Italy Ilias Marmaras Media Artist, Athens Armin Mostoffi CEO, Bash Events, Berlin Domenico Quaranta Art Critic and Curator, Link Art Center, Italy Birgit Richard Director of the Archive of European Youth Cultures, Professor at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main Marc Ries Professor of Sociology and Theory of the Media in Offenbach SAsemi Theatrologist, It Girl, Athens Oliver Schmid Musician, Berlin Aris Sklavos Theatrologist and Performer Louisa Specht Personality Rights Expert, ZAR Karlsruhe Felix Stalder Professor of Digital Culture and Net Theory in Zürich Prodromos Tsiavos Legal Adviser, Greek Free Open Source Software Society, Athens Wolfgang Ullrich Professor of Art History & Media Philosophy, Karlsruhe John H. Weitzmann Fritsch's defense attorney at court of appeal Lawyer at iRights.Law, Berlin Maxa Zoller Film Curator, Cairo And others at the streets of Berlin, Taipei and at the Athens Biennale
	The work on the film wouldn't be possible with the generous support of these people: Accociate producer: Marc Kanzenbach Donors: Achilleas Kentonis, Akeli Mieland, Aksioma - Institute for Contemporary Art, Alessandro Drescher, Alessandro Ludovico, Alex Kozina, Alexander Bootz, Alexander Lacher, Alexander Lauert, Alexander Schibalsky, Alexandros Salapatas, Almut Ilsen, Anastasia Chrysanthakopoulou, Andreas Hübner, Andreas Huth, Andreas Kotes, Andreas Krüger, Andreas Schuster, Angela de Weijer, Anna Heinzig, Annabel Lange, Annet Dekker, Antonio Gonzales Paucar, Arjon Dunnewind, Armin Mobasseri, Barbara Seelig, Benjamin Meier, Benjamin Zierock, Carmen Billows, Carmen von Schöning, Carsten Stabenow, Carsten Wagner, Carsten Wilhelm, Chris Piallat, Christian Bucher, Christian Claus, Christian Palmizi, Christoph Knoth, Christoph Schwerdtle, Christoph Wermke, Christoph Willems, Chrysovalantou Karga, Claudia Schuster, Claudia Wittmann, Clemens Lerche, Clemens Wistuba, Dale Greer, Daniel Fabry, Daniel Krönke, Daniel Memhardt, Daniel Rakete Siegel, Daphne Dragona, David Schmidt, David Wnendt, Davinder Sandal, Dieter Sellin, Dieter Vandoren, Dina Boswank, Dirk Unger, Dominik Halmer, Dorna Safaian, Ed Marszewski, Eduard Stürmer, Elias Scheideler, Elizabeth Wurst, Elvira Heise, EMAF Festival, Eno Henze, Eugen Wasin, Evgenia Palla, Federico Bassetti, Federico Missio, Fee Plumley, Felix Dittmar, Felix Grünschloß, Felix Herrmann, Felix Vorreiter, Florian Blum, Florian Geierstanger, Frank Botermann, Frank Dietrich (Zechnick Himmelfaart), Franz-Josef Schmitt, Fufu Frauenwahl, Gabriele Voehringer, Geoffroy Ribaillier, Giorgio Giardina, Gordan Savicic, Guillermo Federico Heinze, Günter Kuhns, Hannah Cooke, Hannes Kiesewetter, Heidrun Fritsch, Henning Arnecke, Hermann Noering, Iain Cozens, IMPAKT Festival, Ines Wuttke, Ioannis Arvanitis, Ira Schneider, Isaak Broder, Ivan Shakhov, James Redfern, Jan Katsma, Jelena Colic, Jens Gerstenecker, Joachim Steinigeweg, Johan Weigel, Johanna Hoetjes, Johannes Fritsch, Johannes Marx, John Butler, John Deamer, Jose Diego Ferreiro, Juergen Eckloff, Julia Jochem, Julius Schall, Karolina Serafin, Katerina Gkoutziouli, Kathleen Rappolt, Katrin Duffke, Kathrin Keller, Kenny Stanger, Kieran Black, Kika Kyriakakou, Kilian Ochs, Klaus Neumann, Lars Thraene, Lea Gscheidel, Leopold Solter, Lucio Basadonne, Magdalena Vollmer, Manuela Putz, Marc Kanzenbach, Marco Melluso, Marco Trotta, Maren Kiessling, Margret Olafsdottir, Maria Konioti, Mark Braun, Markus Wende, Martin Diering, Martin Heinze, Matthew Denton, Matthias Matanovic, Maurits Boettger, Melanie Jilg, Michael M. Dreisbach, Michael Pierce, Miguel Ribeiro, Mischa Kuball, mursu909, Nadin Tettschlag, Nick Cripps, Nicolas Stumpf, Nikos Dimitrakakos, Nils Menrad, Oliver Schmid, Pat Amoesta, Patricia Röder, Patrick Krolzik, Peter Gräser, Philipp Engelhardt, Philipp Hahn, Philipp Scholz, Reimar Servas, Reinhard Bock, René Lamp, Rikard Bremark, Robert Lippok, Robert Utech, Roland Dreger, Ronald The, Ronnie Grob, Rupert Hoffschmidt, Sabine Koziol, Sam Schlatow, Sancto Russell, Sandra Fauconnier, Scott MacFiggen, Sebastian Felzmann, Sebastian Standke, Sigurd Bemme, Siim Leetberg, Simon Ruschmeyer, Sina Dunker, Sonja Möse, Stamatis Schizakis, Stefan Fischer, Stefan Frielingsdorf, Stefan Kilz, Stefan Schubert, Stefano Simone, Stephan Kaempf, Stephan Probst, Stephen Kovats, Susanna Jerger, Ted Sonnenschein, Thomas Kupser, Thomas Mühlberg, Thomas Müller, Thomas Reiner, Tidi Tiedemann, Tillmann Allmer, Tilmann Vogt, Tim Pritlove, Tim Waters, Timo Haubrich, Timo Kaerlein, Timo Steuerwald, Timothy Wenzel, Tobias Kraft, Tobias Wootton, Torsten Landsiedel, Ulf Aminde, Vijay Mirpuri (ACID BUDA), Wolfgang Fritsch, Wolfgang Senges, Wolfgang Ullrich, York Wegerhoff