Film Forum

“A gargantuan tower of televisions… a majestic beast of an artwork — captivating, ingenious, exhilarating, and kind of hilarious”: Nam June Paik’s most celebrated sculptural piece, The More, the Better as described by Andrew Russeth (Artforum’s Best of 2022). The Korean-born, German-educated, life-long New Yorker, Nam June Paik (1932-2006) coined the phrase “the electronic superhighway” long before the Internet was born. A consummate shape-shifter — classical composer, subversive trickster, pioneer of experimental “interventions” (he called “action music”) and, according to friends, speaker of nine languages (all badly).  Paik’s influences ranged from Hegel to Schoenberg, from traditional Korean dance to Buddhism, space travel, and beyond.  Debut filmmaker Amanda Kim’s captivating, kinetic documentary — narrated by actor Steven Yeun (MINARI, BURNING) — uses archival footage and clips from the artist’s work to recount his collaborations and fascinations with Joseph Beuys, Charlotte Moorman (the topless cellist), David Bowie, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Allen Ginsberg, Merce Cunningham, and his great mentor and friend, John Cage.

With support from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Fund

2022     107 MIN.     USA   

Reviews

“Amanda Kim’s feature doc is as sprightly as the man whose life she follows. There’s an innocence here, and an enigmatic genius at play. Marina Abramović (is) just one of many commentators… happy to contextualize Paik’s work and marvel all over again at the foresight of the man who invented the term ‘electronic superhighway.’ There’s a great deal of charm and humor to Paik’s work, and to this film, but it’s anchored by his perceptiveness and ability to contemplate weighty themes — and, yes, to anticipate the future. Paik’s daring ‘Good Morning Mr Orwell’ live New Year telecast from Paris and the US at the start of 1984, anchored by an increasingly drunken George Plimpton, is a highlight of the film.”
– Fionnuala Halligan, Screen

“ENGROSSING. A clear picture of the artist as a joyfully disruptive presence.”
– Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com