Experimental, Documentary

Brute Force

A film by Felix Lenz & Ganaël Dumreicher
Country: Austria
Year: 2025
Length: 29'50"

Festivals
1. Viennale 2025 (Austria, October 2025)

Synopsis
Brute Force explores how our knowledge-making practices affect the world. Drawing on quantum theory and geology, the film exposes the intrinsic omissions, distortions, and ecological impacts of image production and data extraction. From the interference patterns of neutrons to data centres and salt lakes, the film captures how our world’s complexity collides with the simplified rationalities of our digital age.

Crew
concept, research & direction: Felix Lenz
co-direction: Ganaël Dumreicher

produced by: Felix Lenz
produced at: Design Investigations, University of Applied Arts Vienna

DoP: Stella-Joya Puelacher
DoP [France unit]: Jaakko Taavila
additional DoPs: Felix Lenz • Jonas Heuwieser
drone operator: Felix Lenz

voice-over spoken by: Day Eve Komet
voice-over written by: Felix Lenz • Laura Stöckler
voice-over inspired by conversations with: Karen Barad • Vladan Joler • Diego P. Fernandez
voice-over additional research & consultation: Dunia Sahir

music: Ganaël Dumreicher • Fabian Lanzmaier
sound design: Ganaël Dumreicher
additional sound design: Lisa-Maria Hollaus
voice recording: Noé Reichert
re-recording mix: Bernhard Zorzi

production coordination & research assistance: Laura Stöckler
bird sculpture: Lucy Li • Angela Neubauer • Felix Lenz
model building: Isabel Prade • Felix Lenz
gaffer [studio]: Sebastian Kubelka • Jaakko Taavila
best boy [data centre]: Vincent Forstenlechner • Mathis Walter
location scouting [Owens Lake, CA]: Sebastian Thor McAnulty
photo editing: Max Scheidl • Vincent Forstenlechner

editing: Felix Lenz
VFX: Lena Kalleitner
additional compositing: Denis Ketov
colour grading: Fatih Öger
title & credit design: Manu-Sophie Linder

artistic advisor: Anab Jain
further artistic consultation: Marco Ferrari • Bouchra Khalili

cooperating institutions and corporations:
scientific facilities, Grenoble, France: Institut Laue-Langevin
physicist [ILL & TU Vienna]: Hartmut Lemmel
communication officer [ILL] & archive footage: Steph Monfront

silicon mine, Hirschau, Germany: Amberger Kaolinwerke
marketing & communications: Stefanie Jahn • Elisabeth Kraus
communications: Britta Franzheim
geologist: Alexander Braatz

scientific consultation Utah, USA: University of Utah
research professor, atmospheric sciences: Kevin Perry
research professor, geology & geophysics: Diego P. Fernandez
research assistant, geology and geophysics: Samuel Lopez
lab assistants: Jasmine Garcia • Sierra Rose Stauffer

hyperscale data centre Vienna, Austria: NTT Global Data Centers | Wien 1 Data Center
regional operations director AT/CH: Walter Kasal
marketing manager EMEA: Michelle Heitkamp
server racks: next layer Telekommunikationsdienstleistungs und Beratungs GmbH

data centre Vienna, Austria: Earth Observation Data Centre for Water Resources Monitoring
managing director: Christian Briese

supercomputer Vienna, Austria: Vienna Scientific Cluster & TU Wien
VSC Team: Josef Beiglböck • Markus Hickel • Valentin Hirschbrich • Julia Wimmer

Funding: BMKOES • ORF III • Land Tirol • Bildrecht • HUFAK • Die Angewandte, Supported by: EIZO