Hello Dankness

Prismatic Ground Opening Night

Screening followed by Q&A with the filmmakers

Dir. Soda Jerk. Australia, 2022, 70 mins. Begun in 2019 and labored on throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and comprised of hundreds of film samples, Hello Dankness is a political fable that bears witness to the psychotropic spectacle of American politics from 2016 to 2021 and the mythologies and lore that took root around it. Taking the form of a suburban stoner musical, the film follows a neighborhood as consensus reality disintegrates into conspiracy and other contagions. What unfolds is a rogue retelling of history in which hot dogs debate the culture wars, trashcans preach QAnon, zombies rally for revolution, and real events are refashioned as Broadway bangers from Cats, Les Misérables, Annie, and The Phantom of the Opera. There are songs and dancing, moments of menace and melancholy, shitposting and deep sincerity. Such janky weirdness is befitting of an era in which reality feels bombastic and baked, but Soda Jerk never loses sight of the way this unreality is tethered to the deep cultural fissures and devastating material conditions that characterize this moment. The cast of characters includes Tom Hanks, Annette Bening, Bruce Dern, Ice Cube, Wayne and Garth, Maya and Ana, Rue and Jules, Seth Rogen, and Reyn Doi. American politicians play themselves, with Jesse Eisenberg in the role of Mark Zuckerberg, and the Phantom of the Opera as Vladimir Putin. 

Advance tickets are sold out. A limited number of tickets may become available at the door, on standby. Ticketholders should pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.