Exergue – on documenta 14
Exergue – on documenta 14 is a 2024 Greek documentary film with a runtime of 848 minutes, making it the second-longest non-experimental film ever made. The documentary was directed by Dimitris Athiridis and had its world premiere in February 2024 at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. The film centers on Adam Szymczyk, the artistic director of Documenta 14, and his team as they prepared for the contemporary art exhibition, which was held in Kassel and Athens in 2017.
Plot
The film documents how Adam Szymczyk, the artistic director of Documenta 14, and his team as they prepared the art exhibition held in Kassel and Athens in 2017. This was the first time the quinquennial art exhibition was split between two locations, a decision that provoked controversy due to logistical challenges and the perceived impact on the exhibition's coherence. The film is divided into 14 chapters, offering a behind-the-scenes view of the institutional art world, examining contemporary art's role in a changing global landscape, and exploring the politics and drama of staging exhibitions.Production
In 2015, director Dimitris Athiridis began documenting Adam Szymczyk and his team, initially planning a two-hour runtime for the film. During the early editing process, Athyridis informed the film's producer, Christos Konstantakopoulos, that the raw footage he had captured contained significantly more material than could be condensed into the initially planned two-hour runtime.Release
Upon its release, the film became the longest ever screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, surpassing the previous Berlinale record for the longest film, held by A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery, directed by Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz, which had a runtime of 485 minutes.It will have its Australian premiere at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival, where "each screening will take place over three days in 4-5 hour segments with scheduled 15 minute intervals."