Optinen ääni is a film by Mika Taanila based on the live performance of Symphony #2 for dot matrix printers in Helsinki in 2001. The film intercuts close-ups of the mechanical parts of the printers performing the piece, taken from surveillance cameras placed inside the machines, with images of the ASCII files’ score being played, which has been photocopied straight onto clear film without the use of a camera. These live images are contrasted with time-lapse footage of large modern office blocks shot from the streets, at dawn and dusk, in Helsinki. Optinen ääni continues the series of films by Mika Taanila which deal with technology, humanity, and futuristic ideas.
