AllMovie

The politically radical avant-garde filmmaker Harun Farocki takes the reins for this offbeat look at late 20th Century German society. In a not-so-thinly-veiled critique of Capitalist consumerism, Farocki draws jarring parallels between the still-life paintings of the Dutch masters, and contemporary advertisements for such products as beer, watches and cheese. The remainder of the film takes place in a contemporary advertising agency, where Farocki's cameras observe various executives creating "contemporary still-lifes." In the process, Farocki upends commonly-held perceptions of what constitutes art.