King Combucha / film / Duration: 1:25 hours (2021)
King Combucha is a still-drawing film with original voiceover and soundtrack, inspired by the “still image film” genre popular in the 1960s. Rather than animation or live-action, it relies on camera movement and editing to bring its 400 hand-drawn images to life. Written and produced by Israeli artist Dan Allon and Finnish artist Ari-Pekka Leinonen, the project began during a residency at Hordaland Kunstsenter, Bergen, Norway, in 2020, and was completed remotely between Israel and Finland in 2021.
The narrative follows two misfortunate travelers whose paths intersect three times, shaping each other’s destinies. Based on diaries Allon kept from 2001–2020, the story travels from Peru to New York on 9/11 and concludes in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the drawings and dual narration, the film explores vulnerability, self-deceit, privilege, and the tension between personal obsessions and a collapsing world.
Credits:
Text – AP Leinonen & Dan Allon
Narration – AP Leinonen & Dan Allon
Music & Sound Editing – AP Leinonen
Drums – Dan Allon