66 Scenes from America
66 Scenes from America (Danish: 66 scener fra Amerika) is a 1982 Danish documentary film directed by Jørgen Leth. It presents a variety of short scenes with no connecting narrative. People are shown engaged in ordinary activities with minimal direction.[1] Leth described it as containing "large and small things, events, people, thoughts and feelings".[2] The original plan for the film was to include 40 different scenes, but once filming began it was expanded to 66.
66 Scenes from America | |
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Danish | 66 scener fra Amerika |
Directed by | Jørgen Leth |
Produced by | Ole John |
Cinematography | Dan Holmberg |
Edited by | Kristian Levring |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 42 minutes |
Country | Denmark |
The film's best-known scene shows artist Andy Warhol eating a Whopper hamburger from the fast food restaurant chain Burger King. The scene is the longest in the film, in part because Warhol did not realize he was expected to say his name immediately after he finished eating, and Leth did not edit out the awkward pause that resulted.[3] In 2019, Burger King aired an excerpt from the scene as a commercial during Super Bowl LIII.[4][5]
References
- Ørum, Tania (2007). "Danish Avant-Garde Filmmakers of the 1960s: Technology, Cross-aesthetics and Politics". In Graf, Alexander; Scheunemann, Dietrich (eds.). Avant-garde Film. Rodopi. p. 273. ISBN 978-90-420-2305-5.
- "66 Scenes from America". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- Hjort, Mette; Bondebjerg, Ib (2003). The Danish Directors: Dialogues on a Contemporary National Cinema. Intellect Books. pp. 139-140.
- Dessem, Matthew (4 February 2019). "What Was Andy Warhol Doing in That Burger King Ad?". Slate. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- Monllos, Kristina (3 February 2019). "How Burger King Turned Documentary Footage of Andy Warhol Eating a Whopper Into Its Super Bowl Ad". Adweek. Retrieved 4 February 2019.