Film FAQ —

Peter-Altenberg-ing

(by filmmaker Matan Tal)

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1) What is this film about — in one sentence?

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In my own words, this film is about embodying the spirit of a forgotten artist in the modern world, rather than explaining or documenting him from the outside.

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2) What genre is this film (and how would you describe its form)?

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I consider this an essay film, even though it has no narration at all.
In fact, in my filmmaking practice, this is the only essay film I’ve made without voiceover — and that decision is central to what the film is trying to do.

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3) Why did you make this film?

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I made this film out of a very personal ritual.

For years — since my student days — I’ve had a habit of sitting in cafés and writing. I’ve always called this activity “Peter Altenberging,” after Peter Altenberg, one of my favorite writers.

I discovered Altenberg as a child, through a book in my grandparents’ house. I still own an original Hebrew translation of his selected works from 1921, the first time his writing was translated into Hebrew. That book is one of my most cherished possessions.

When I was making this film, I realized I wasn’t just inspired by Altenberg — I was already embodying him in my daily life. The film came from the desire to make that embodiment visible.

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4) What is the central idea or question the film explores?

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The central idea, as I see it, is embodiment.

Not researching a deceased artist.
Not explaining him.
But bringing him back to life through presence, more than a century after his death.

In my previous work — for example when I made a film about Chris Marker — I was searching for a spirit. Here, I’m not searching. I’m inhabiting.

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5) What should the viewer pay attention to while watching?

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According to my own experience with the film, this becomes clearer on a second or third viewing.

The visuals form what I’d call a total cacophony:
– Google Maps imagery
– footage shot on my phone
– still photography
– material shot on my DSLR

On the surface, these images shouldn’t “work together.” But the film develops its own rhythm — something that goes beyond the visual layer itself.

All this patchwork eventually creates something that transcends visual identity and becomes experiential.

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6) What is your approach to editing in this film?

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My approach to editing was patchwork, very literally.

I treated the film like cloth. I took elements that visually clash, that should theoretically pull the viewer out of the experience — and instead I made them welcome.

I like to say: I didn’t try to hide the seams. I made a shirt out of them.

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7) How did you approach sound and voice (music / voiceover / silence) in this film?

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I consciously avoided narration.

In my view, voiceover would have broken the embodiment. Language would have pulled us back into explanation, into intellect.

This film operates beyond language.

Music became the connective tissue — the glue that holds all the visual fragments together and allows the film to breathe as one body.

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8) How much of the film is scripted vs discovered during the process?

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Almost everything was discovered in the editing room.

I had an initial impulse — to embody the spirit of Peter Altenberg — but nothing was scripted in a traditional sense.

In a way, I was already performing this embodiment in cafés with a pen. This time, instead of a pen, I used a camera and editing software. The meaning emerged through assembling, not planning.

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9) What makes this film “experimental” — and why did you choose that?

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This film is experimental because it refuses to explain itself logically.

It doesn’t tell you who Altenberg was.
It doesn’t teach.
It embodies.

And in my view, trying to embody a deceased artist in a non-experimental way would be dishonest — even fake. The only truthful way to attempt something like this is through what we call “experimental” cinema.

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10) What films, artists, or influences shaped this work?

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The primary influence here is Peter Altenberg himself — but through literature, not cinema.

I don’t think I’ve seen something quite like this done in film form. Altenberg’s writing, his spirit, and the atmosphere of the Viennese café tradition were the real influences shaping the work.

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11) Who is this film for — and what kind of viewer will connect with it most?

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It would be too limiting to say this film is only for people who already know Altenberg. He’s a largely forgotten literary figure outside Austria.

In my experience, this film connects most with viewers who are drawn to:
– essay films
– experimental cinema
– works that convey something spiritual, not just narrative
– films that operate beyond the mundane realist world

This film isn’t about recognition. It’s about resonance.

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12) Where can I watch the film, and how can I contact you for screenings or programming?

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The film is available online for free. It’s a six-minute short essay film.

If you’re interested in screening it or programming it, you’re welcome to contact me. I’d be glad to talk about Peter Altenberging, embodiment, and my broader approach to essay filmmaking.