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Gifted Men

The three-channel film installation Gifted Men (2015, 67 min) deals with the commercial distribution of semen in Denmark from the perspective of anonymous donors. Gifted Men is the result of a multidisciplinary research-based artistic project on donation practices.

  • Timo Menke
    Director
  • Nils Agdler
    Director
  • Timo Menke
    Writer
  • Nils Agdler
    Writer
  • Timo Menke
    Producer
  • Nils Agdler
    Producer
  • Peter Bower (himself)
    Key Cast
  • Peter Lundström (himself)
    Key Cast
  • Ole Schou (himself)
    Key Cast
  • Nils Agdler (donor Kim)
    Key Cast
  • Martin Ekman (donor Jørgen)
    Key Cast
  • Mikkel Hansen (becoming donor)
    Key Cast
  • Svante Larsson (donors Henrik, Poul)
    Key Cast
  • Timo Menke (donor Nikolaj)
    Key Cast
  • Ivar Suneson (donor Malthe)
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Other
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 7 minutes 11 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Country of Filming:
    Denmark
  • Language:
    Danish
  • Shooting Format:
    HDV, 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Pori Art Museum
    Finland
    March 24, 2018
Director Biography - Timo Menke, Nils Agdler

Timo Menke was born in Germany, and lives and works in Sweden since 1988. He received a Master of Fine Arts from Konstfack, the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm in 1999. Between 2004 and 2014 he has been teaching as Senior lecturer at the department of art at Konstfack, Stockholm and is currently working as a visual artist and freelance film producer. His editing, compositing and production skills are credited in several short and documentary films; more information at the Swedish Film Database. He is also engaged at the Filmform foundation, the Art Film and Video Archive, in Stockholm, dealing with archiving and distribution of film and video art.

Director/Artist:
Liquid Crystal Effects (2019, 40 min)
A–Ø (2018, 14 min)
Brothers to Sisters: Välimiehet performing “Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves” (2018, 3:45)
Siberian Trance (2015, 12 min)
Gifted Men (2015, 67 min)
Made in Denmark (2013, 14 min)
Making Film for Cinemas (2012/2013, 5 min)
Flykten från fälten / Fugitives from the Fields (2005, 16 min)
Skala 1:1 (2003, 9 min)
Testfilm for Festivals (2001, 5 min)
Der dritte Raum/Det 3:e rummet (1999, 30 min)
Der Konfabulator (1997, 8 min)
A l´infintif (1996, 6 min)

Film Editor:
Som man brukar säga, by Miriam Bäckström (2015-2018)
Motherfucker, by Miriam Bäckström (2013)
Who Am I?, by Miriam Bäckström (2011)
KIRA CARPELAN, Miriam Bäckström (2007)
Vi bara drömde, by Lena Lucki (2005)
Den första dagen på resten av ditt liv, by Joachim Bergenstråhle (2003)
Staden, by Stefan Wrenfelt (2002)

Animation:
Devil in the mines I-III (Sketch for Mikael Wiström, 2006)
Compadre, by Mikael Wiström (2004)
Esthers bok, by Esaias Baitel (2004)

Sound Editor:
Staden, by Stefan Wrenfelt (2002)

Other Crew:
My Name Is Albert Ayler, by Kasper Collin (2005)

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Timo Menke is an interdisciplinary artist whose primary medium is moving-image. Menke investigates the relationship between the observer and the observed, subject and object, and how cultural identities, social relationships, and bio-political questions relate to desire, power, and body. He graduated from Konstfack in 1999 where he was also an Assistant Professor in the Art Department between 2004-2014. Menke is represented by Moderna Museet Stockholm (Modern Art Museum in Stockholm), Kalmar konstmuseum (Kalmar Art Museum), Pori Art Museum and is distributed by Filmform – The Art Film and Video Archive.

Timo Menke and photographer Nils Agdler have been engaged in several long­term collaborative projects. In their artistic practice they share a common interest in contemporary social phenomena, storytelling and history. Major projects include film works and installations on electrical hypersensitivity (Fugitives from the Fields, 2005), and commercial anonymous sperm donation (Made in Denmark, 2013 and Gifted Men, 2015).