Sam Klemke's Time Machine

Director: Matthew Bate

Institute History

  • 2015 Sundance Film Festival

Description

In 1977, 17-year-old American Sam Klemke, fascinated by film’s ability to capture time, decided to record and narrate his life. In the same year, NASA launched the Voyager spacecraft into the outer reaches of space with Golden Records of what was modestly referred to as the complete history of humanity’s accomplishments in music, art, and science. As that highlight reel of mankind hurtled through space, Klemke continued filming his life in decidedly lowlight "TMI" glory.

Through the nacho binge eating and foreign wars, his never-realized goals, and presidential elections, Klemke makes a record of his life that is both narcissistic and touching. Now in his fifties and with a roomful of hundreds of hours of tape, what exactly has been the point of it all? From Matthew Bate, the director of Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (2011 Sundance Film Festival), comes one of the most bizarre, gross, moving, and awe-inspiring films about living a life on Earth today. —S.S.

— S.S

Screening Details

Credits

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