Magic Farm
In this gonzo comedy starring Chloë Sevigny, an American media crew ends up stumbling through the wrong small town in Argentina while chasing their next viral sensation.
The young men of a Mexican village in their pointy boots were a viral hit—what other marvels might Latin America have in store for the online crowd to gawk at? A production team from a New York-based media company specialising in showcasing exotic subcultures sets off on a new gonzo-journalistic excursion in search of a rabbit-costumed eccentric musician destined for viral fame.
The only problem: no one bothers to check whether they are even heading to the right country. Upon arrival in rural Argentina, the crew is forced to invent a new subject for their documentary.
Argentine-born Amalia Ulman’s deadpan comedy targets the exploitative culture of video reportage. The phlegmatic, shallow crew (including Chloë Sevigny as host, Alex Wolff as producer, and Ulman herself as the camerawoman who understands the local language and culture) tries to fabricate entertaining sensational content without troubling themselves to notice the real, pressing issues around them. Yet Magic Farm, while drawing on the very techniques of the video culture it satirises, allows room in its tonal palette for more than cynicism. Ulman takes fans of American indie cinema on a colorful trip that both entertains and provokes thoughts.
Suvi Heino (translated by Kati Ilomäki)
Trailer
