#documentary / games / arcade / challenges / world record / nerds / ’80s / friendship / love / crossing borders / Rocky / Iron Maiden / space, lasers and enemy ships /

CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUEST

documentary / Denmark / 2021 / 1h 30m

Mum, only 50 more hours! I can’t pause now! 

Kim “Cannon Arm” Köbke is a loveable introvert who can boast of exceptionally skillful wrists – as many joysticks in the area have already found out! Amusement arcade owners hate him, and old arcade games fans love him! Despite already being a grandfather, he proves that a person of any age can indulge in video games quite often… and for a looong time! Kim spent most of his life in front of the slot machines, which became the love of his life. Today, he wants to make history, leaving a mark even more durable than his fondness for game cartridges. His goal is to one-up his personal best and beat the world record in one fell swoop. Kim attempts to play the iconic “Gyruss” for 100 hours straight without seeing every player’s worst nightmare – the black screen of death with the words: “Game Over!”

“Cannon Arm and The Arcade Quest” is a sincere, warm, and funny documentary about friendship, dreams, and a devotion to a true passion. In his feature debut, director Mads Hedegaard takes us behind the scenes of the diligent preparations to beat the world record, and at the same time, he invites us to a magical corner: Copenhagen’s Bip Bip Bar, where all sorts of outsiders gather to form a community and strike up some beautiful friendships. Feel the atmosphere of a stuffy arcade, return to the wonder years (i.e. the 1980s), and immerse yourselves in every nerd’s wet dream! Get carried away by the sounds of laser cannons, the mass destruction of enemy spaceships, and Iron Maiden resounding in the speakers! This is a balanced dose of vitamins ideal for every inner kid!

Splat! suggests: In actuality, we only have one life and we will not get additional ones regardless of the score achieved. That is why it is worth spending it with friends, doing things you love with all your heart. Kim and his friends understand it very well! 

directed by: Mads Hedegaard
screenplay: Mads Hedegaard
starring: Kim Cannon Arm, Walter Day, Shigeru Miyamoto, and others
cinematography: David Bauer, Mads Hedegaard
languages: English, Danish
subtitles: Polish

WORLD PREMIERE: Copenhagen International Documentary Festival 2021

Age restriction: 16+