When Johannes Grenzfurthner set out to tell the story of hackers making pandemic-era medical equipment, he didn’t expect to make a doc that would get shut out of Sundance and wind up on the Internet Archive. It’s part DIY-hacking, part anti-colonial manifesto, and part absurdist art film where Uncle Sam bullies the director on camera.
It’s not an easy watch, but it’s unforgettable.
Trailer for “Hacking at Leaves”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- The director is literally forced—on camera—by Uncle Sam (played by Max Grodénchik from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) to make a patriotic film. But he refuses. Instead, he shows the dark side of U.S. history.
- A tiny hackerspace in Durango, Colorado used open-source designs to make ventilators and PPE. They sent them to Navajo Nation hospitals when no one else would.
- After getting turned down by major film festivals and distributors, the director gave up on commercial release. He put the whole film online—for free—on the Internet Archive.
Watch “Hacking at Leaves”
You can stream the full doc for free on: The Internet Archive
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.5
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: not yet rated
- Festival Response: Positive reviews at Diagonale (Austria) and HOPE (NYC)
Director’s Note: Johannes Grenzfurthner directed the film, and he is also in it. He helped edit it. He released it himself. And he refused to make it more “feel-good” just to please Hollywood. His team included editor Sebastian Schreiner and producers Jasmin Hagendorfer and Günther Friesinger. This is not a safe film. It’s angry. It’s messy. And that’s the point.
Release Date: August 29, 2025 (Free release on Internet Archive)
My Review of “Hacking at Leaves”
The Setup
The film starts in a small Colorado workshop. Hackers there were building things people needed to survive COVID—like oxygen masks and ventilators. But soon the story shifts. The director starts asking: Why did these people have to step up in the first place? Why were Native communities hit so hard? Why did the government fail them?
To answer that, he goes deep into U.S. history—and things get weird fast. Grenzfurthner wears a yellow radiation suit. Uncle Sam keeps popping up to “correct” him. It’s part documentary, part protest, part performance art.
More Highlights from the Doc
- The film jumps between real pandemic stories and history lessons about colonialism.
- The director uses old footage, fake commercials, and weird edits to make a point—America’s story isn’t as simple as we’re told.
- The people in Durango weren’t doctors. They were teachers, retirees, and tech nerds. But they showed up when it mattered.
- The government didn’t. Especially not for Native communities.
Cameos
- Max Grodénchik (Rom from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) plays a creepy, controlling Uncle Sam who tries to hijack the film.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- The film didn’t get into Sundance. One reason? It has no “hero arc.” The director says, “There are no heroes in this story. Only victims.”
- The Internet Archive wasn’t just where the film ended up. It was also a major research tool. Grenzfurthner used it to dig into history and old footage.
- He got funding from the Austrian government. So when distributors turned him down, he didn’t need to sell the film to recoup costs. That’s why he could give it away for free.
- His production group, monochrom, has been making radical media since the 1990s. This film fits that mold—loud, smart, and totally uncensored.
Wrap Up
If you like your docs raw, weird, and honest—this one’s worth your time. It’s one of the most original pandemic films I’ve seen.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc