Stranger in Aalborg

A Stranger in Aalborg is an experimental documentary that captures the feeling of alienation and detachment of the author, who comes from the Czech Republic and lives in Denmark. The author uses long static shots, sharp cuts, contact sound and high frame rate to create an immersive view of the world, which is for him like a gateway to another reality. The film is a personal expression of the author’s vision of the world and also a challenge to immersion for the viewers, who are forced to look outside the film, not at the film.

  • Martin Lombok
    Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Fremmed i Aalborg
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short, Other
  • Runtime:
    23 minutes 58 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 2, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    100 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Czech Republic
  • Country of Filming:
    Denmark
  • Language:
    Danish, No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital FullHD 60fps
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Martin Lombok

Director’s Biography

Born in 1969, Martin Lombok is a filmmaker who works with technologies. He is interested in exploring the possibilities of film language and expressing his personal vision of the world. A Stranger in Aalborg is his first experimental documentary.

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Director Statement

A Stranger in Aalborg is a film about me. It came from a simple idea - to make a film that I would like.

It would be exactly and only such that it would satisfactorily express my view of the world in a satisfying way. When I watch it, it forces me to look outside the film, not at the film.

After twelve seconds, the long static shots become unbearable. No music, just contact sound. Only the simplest formal means. Sharp cut. 60 frames per second, the highest resolution possible. After another twelve seconds, the irritating feeling changes into curiosity and a desire to explore.

Aalborg is a city in Denmark, in the northern Jutland region. For me, coming from the Czech Republic, lying a thousand kilometers further south, the local world is something like a gateway to another reality.

It is not easy to express that feeling. If I were a color, in Denmark I would feel like someone had set my transparency to fifty percent. If someone told me that the world ends just behind Hamburg and what is further is just such an NPC simulation, I would not have many reasons not to believe him.

Technology with its easy availability, resolution and high frame rate can mediate an almost hyper-realistic view of the world. When the film itself recedes into the background, a space and method is created to express what is otherwise difficult to grasp, because we do not have words for it.

A Stranger in Aalborg is an expression of how I see the world. Take a look.