Ötza, Uninterrupted (2025)
Cryodesiccated mummy and fanfiction writer Ötza tells her story through a series of self-written fanfiction chapters. In five subsequent scenes—played in an loop—she attempts to rewrite the narrative that has been (unfairly) extrapolated from scientific reconstructions as she is stuck in her cooling cell in a state of undead preservation. The film is presented in a five-channel video installation, embedded in faux-Neolithic stone sculptures of paper-mache.
Written and directed by: Levi van Gelder
Director of photography: Giovanni Salice
Costume and styling: Leila El Alaoui
Set design: Linnéa Gerrits and Jill Louise Verweijen
Score: Thessa Torsing (Upsammy)
Sound: Sebastiano Carghini
Editing: Levi van Gelder
Color grading: Giovanni Salice
Lighting: Eugene Berkovski and Eduard Snoerwang
Assistant director: Heleen Mineur
SFX operation: Laura Vreede
VFX: Finn Wagner
Script advisors: Artun Alaska Arasli and Maia Kenney
Set guardian: Jet Mineur
Tailoring costume: Eef Hietbrink
Airbrushing costume : Ruperto Herrador
Styling intern: Dilwin Tamer
Runners: Inne Feenstra, Lou Vives and Lizzy Deacon
Installation assistants: Matteo Rattini and Inne Feenstra
Ötza: Levi van Gelder
Surgeons: Sergi Casero and Finn Theuws
Therapist: Jochem van Gelder
Dance kids: Lola, Evy, Zaria and Sanne
This project was generously funded by Amarte Fonds and Dommering Foundation.
(5-channel video installation — 47:39 min.)
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
Still from “Ötza, Uninterrupted” (2025)
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
Ötza, Uninterrupted (2025)
Cryodesiccated mummy and fanfiction writer Ötza tells her story through a series of self-written fanfiction chapters. In five subsequent scenes—played in an loop—she attempts to rewrite the narrative that has been (unfairly) extrapolated from scientific reconstructions as she is stuck in her cooling cell in a state of undead preservation. The film is presented in a five-channel video installation, embedded in faux-Neolithic stone sculptures of paper-mache.
Written and directed by: Levi van Gelder
Director of photography: Giovanni Salice
Costume and styling: Leila El Alaoui
Set design: Linnéa Gerrits and Jill Louise Verweijen
Score: Thessa Torsing (Upsammy)
Sound: Sebastiano Carghini
Editing: Levi van Gelder
Color grading: Giovanni Salice
Lighting: Eugene Berkovski and Eduard Snoerwang
Assistant director: Heleen Mineur
SFX operation: Laura Vreede
VFX: Finn Wagner
Script advisors: Artun Alaska Arasli and Maia Kenney
Set guardian: Jet Mineur
Tailoring costume: Eef Hietbrink
Airbrushing costume : Ruperto Herrador
Styling intern: Dilwin Tamer
Runners: Inne Feenstra, Lou Vives and Lizzy Deacon
Installation assistants: Matteo Rattini and Inne Feenstra
Ötza: Levi van Gelder
Surgeons: Sergi Casero and Finn Theuws
Therapist: Jochem van Gelder
Dance kids: Lola, Evy, Zaria and Sanne
This project was generously funded by Amarte Fonds and Dommering Foundation.
(5-channel video installation — 47:39 min.)
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
Still from “Ötza, Uninterrupted” (2025)
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
“Ötza, Uninterrupted” at Offspring 2025, De Ateliers, curated by Eliel Jones (2025) — Photographed by Giovanni Salice
