In the stairwell of a pizzeria hangs an unknown painting. As one of hundreds of props in a First-Person Shooter video game, it receives no attention from the players. But its story reveals an unrecognized privilege.
The Unknown Painting
Experimental Documentary
2024
12 min.
Englisch, Englisch & German ST
Hunting still lifes were regarded by the nobility as a representation of their privileges. Later, copies and forgeries of this genre of painting and the privileges associated with it found their way into the bourgeoisie. Since September 2023, a hunting still life has been hanging in a new context, a free first-person shooter computer game. How should this image be interpreted in its new context? Does it still symbolize a privilege?
The Unknown Painting traces the history of the hunting still life and interprets it in the context of the video game. In doing so, the film focuses primarily on the relationship between virtual reality and reality.
Festivals
64. Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival – FICCI, Colombia, 2025 (World Premiere).
Rome Prisma Film Awards, Italy, 2025 (Award: Best Short-Documentary 2024-2025).
65th Zlín Film Festival – International Film Festival for children and youth, Czech Republic, 2025.
Apriti Cinema: Notti di Mezza Estate – Lo schermo dell'arte, Italy, 2025.
CFF - Castiglioni Film Festival, Italy, 2025.
Plons! International Short Documentary Film Festival. Netherlands, 2025.
Credits
A Film by Niklas Poweleit
Producer Andrea Gatopoulos
Line producer Marco Crispano
With Dr. Silke Gatenbröcker & Prof. Dr. Friedrich Weltzien
Video Game Counter-Strike 2 (Valve – 2023)
Sound Design & Mix Tommaso Barbaro
Sound Editing Luca Canzano
Post Audio Fullcode
Festival Distribution Gargantua Film Distribution
Developed inside Nouvelle Bug – Vol. 2 – Rome 2024
Tutors Andrea Gatopoulos, Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis &
Total Refusal
Thank you Johanna Schäfers, Ben Ambrosius & Anis Balliel
Other works
Niklas Poweleit