LFF 2021: Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest
LFFA lot hides behind the surface in director Mads Hedegaard's documentary Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest. On the surface, it is plain sailing documentation of old-school arcade aficionado Kim "Kanonarm" Købke as he sets out to break the record of playing Gyruss for one hundred hours non-stop – a feat that, even for surface level layers, is interesting enough on the immersion front for casual viewers. Nevertheless, when the feature goes a little deeper, it finds quite a compelling and poignant substance on fragility, life, and meaning.
Beginning with the surface level first, Hedegaard crafts an intriguing and always entertaining documentary. His subject in the arcade game community and Kim "Kanonarm" Købke is interesting to investigate. The former, a niche albeit highly loved genre, is given plentiful moments and narrative to explore. While Købke is the silent type – an obvious understatement – Hedegaard never ostracises the aloof character nor use him as a butt of a joke. There is a clear level of respect and authentic interest from the director on this topic, and that very sincerity is felt ten-fold.
The director and editor Mark Bukdahl does a wonderful job of constantly crafting an entertaining and inviting aesthetic that builds into the world of arcade gaming, which is both fun and highlights the wonder of the same excitement that this community feels. Hedegaard and cinematographer David Bauer Lønstrup craft an enveloping image on the screen that is quite workman and rugged. An attribute that is not a detriment but a somewhat genius choice of aesthetic to craft a personality and authentic organic palette to build a relationship between subject and viewer: documenting these people as human beings with a longing, loving interest in arcade games.
This is where the second point of digging a little deeper in the feature’s underbelly comes into play. On the surface, this is a simple feature on the community of the arcade game scene, but Hedegaard – conscious or not – uncovers something quite special in exploring humanity itself. These people who dedicate themselves do so with a passion, and Hedegaard investigates such and finds brooding and poignant tales of those internally isolated, suffering from mental illnesses, or other particular social difficulties that would otherwise push these people into dark corners, finding solace and a place within a community of hope. Hedegaard takes the time to explore each individual story with poignancy and precedent that has striking, emotive power – touching further on those who, even with these communities, were unable to find solace and hope; an element that hinges all this story together and acts as a beautiful ode to those close to Kim "Kanonarm" Købke and co.
Even at ninety-seven minutes long, Hedegaard's feature is a little too long and does indeed stretch itself perhaps ten or so minutes over its finishing line. Nevertheless, it is forgivable given the context of this quite poignant story of hope and community. In actual fact, Hedegaard's documentary takes some twists. It turns in its narrative, and it creates compelling tension when it turns up the heat. Still, for the story alone, Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest does a brilliant and entertaining job of giving its subject that limelight it deserves.
