Renowned filmmaker Patrik Wallner explores the art of developing film at home.
“It is not just hot lingerie that can be sexy. Sometimes it is enough for an exposed roll of film to bathe in various chemicals to give you butterflies in your stomach. Then adding some magical piano work by the one and only Philip Glass overlaying the process, I just couldn’t help myself and share with you ’The Upside to a Negative’ a two-and-a-half-minute short film teasing you for more Hong Kong related pieces.
It takes a global pandemic for a dormant desire of developing film at home to become reality. Last year, I found myself scratching my head on how to get to Nairobi or Accra without transiting a million times. The problems this year after Covid19 restrictions were a little more domestic. Besides turning my living room into a darkroom, figuring out the exact components on how to mix bleach with acid, the exposure time of the developer and temperature of the fixer; was the ball-busting mystery for me this year.
I have spent over a year now documenting Hong Kong on 16mm moving and 35mm still analog film during these turbulent times. I am very excited to announce that I am currently working on a black & white photobook, focusing on the territory here releasing next year. Parallel, we at Postcard are also planning a skateboarding project for 2021 with Hong Kong in the spotlights.”
A Postcard Production
Filmed & Edited by Patrik Wallner
Music by Philip Glass
Performed by Anton Batagov
