War at a Distance

In 1991, when images of the Gulf War flooded the international media, it was virtually impossible to distinguish between real pictures and those generated on computer. This loss of bearings was to change forever our way of deciphering what we see.

The image is no longer used only as testimony, but also as an indispensable link in a process of production and destruction. This is the central premise of War at a Distance, which continues the deconstruction of claims to visual objectivity Harun Farocki developed in his earlier work.

With the help of archival and original material, Farocki sets out in effect to define the relationship between military strategy and industrial production and sheds light on how the technology of war finds applications in everyday life.

(Antje Ehmann)

Original title Erkennen und Verfolgen Director, scriptwriter Harun Farocki Cinematographer Ingo Kratisch, Rosa Mercedes Research, assistance Matthias Rajmann Sound Louis van Rouki Editor Max Reimann Collaborators Michael Baute, Kilian Hirt, Mike Jarmon, Ondine Rarey Narrator Margarita Broich TV-producer Inge Classen Production Harun Farocki Filmproduktion, Berlin, in collaboration with ZDF/3sat, 2003  Format video, col. Length 58 min.