Supermarket Security Footage 'Frozen Shrimp' Wins Top Prize at Film Festival. Jury Praises "Silence That Questions Modern Society"

A 90-minute video showing nothing but a piece of shrimp in a freezer case has won the top prize at an international film festival. The director (a part-time store employee) tearfully apologized, saying “I submitted the wrong file,” but the jury gave him a standing ovation, calling it “a humble performance integrated with the work itself.” His next work, “Eggs on the Shelf,” has been announced.

The definition of art has once again blurred its boundaries. At the world’s most prestigious experimental film festival, the “42nd Berlin International Avant-Garde Film Festival,” the Golden Eye Award for Best Film went to an unknown Japanese director, Yuji Tanaka (28), for his work ‘À crevette dormante’ (English title: The Sleeping Shrimp). It’s a groundbreaking achievement that either shakes or freezes film history.

The film consists of 90 minutes of unedited, silent footage from a security camera installed in the frozen food section of a supermarket—an extremely challenging composition. In the center of the screen is a single bag of frozen shrimp. Except for occasional shopping customers reaching in, the subject remains completely motionless. The jury unanimously praised this silence as a metaphor for consumption and stagnation in modern society, as well as the daily life under surveillance.

Tanaka, who now stands at the pinnacle of glory, is a part-time employee at the supermarket “Fresh Mart Aobadai,” working four days a week. He has no filmmaking experience, and his usual duties center on stocking shelves and cashier work. His acceptance speech has carved a new legend in the festival’s history. “I am truly sorry. I was supposed to submit a video for my friend’s wedding reception. I accidentally uploaded from the backup folder…” he said tearfully.

This shocking confession momentarily threw the venue into chaos, but jury chairman Jean-Pierre Baudrillard grabbed the microphone and delivered an impassioned speech. “Bravo! This is the ultimate conceptual art. Liberation from the author’s intention, the autonomy of the work. His humble performance perfectly embodies the essence of the work, ‘unintended creativity.’ We have witnessed a new horizon in art.” Following Baudrillard’s words, the venue erupted in thunderous standing ovation.

Upon news of the award, art fans calling themselves “pilgrims to the holy site” flooded Fresh Mart Aobadai. The frozen shrimp in question, now dubbed “the Golden Eye Award-winning shrimp,” temporarily sold out and is currently displayed in an acrylic case. Online, the “#Frozen〇〇Challenge,” where people time-lapse their home refrigerators, has become a meme and is developing into a social phenomenon.

Art critic Mariko Kujoin told our paper in an interview: “There has never been such a pure demonstration of the death of the author and the birth of the viewer. Whether it was a mistake or not is no longer important. The moment people find meaning in it, it becomes art. Tanaka inadvertently gained the perspective of God—he’s a genius.” She spoke with excitement.

According to sources, multiple major distribution companies are already fighting over the rights to Tanaka’s next work, with rumored production budgets reaching hundreds of millions of yen. The next work’s title has been decided as ‘L’œuf silencieux’ (English title: Eggs on the Shelf).

“I don’t want to make any more mistakes,” Tanaka weakly told reporters. Behind him, only the hum of the freezer motor quietly resonated. Where exactly is the compass of contemporary art pointing? Perhaps all we can do is wait for the next surveillance camera footage.

Stakeholder Comments

• Director Yuji Tanaka “I really feel terrible about this. Next time, I’ll film it properly. Probably…”

• Jury Chairman J.P. Baudrillard “His tears are a metaphor for the suffering of artists in modern times. Magnificent!”

• Fresh Mart Aobadai Store Manager “I had no idea Tanaka had such hidden talent… Anyway, we’ve created a special shrimp corner. It’s on sale today!”

• The Frozen Shrimp in the Freezer Case “I always felt like I was being watched. But I’m honored. My silence moved the world, after all.”

• Art Critic Mariko Kujoin “This is an event! It’s the 21st century’s ‘Fountain’! Next, I’m sure he’ll express the fleeting nature of time through the sway of plastic bags!”

• The Director’s Friend (Who Had the Wedding) “It’s a bit complicated that the shrimp got more recognition than our wedding video. But congratulations!”

• Fellow Part-Timer “He was always staring blankly at the security camera monitor during breaks. Who knew that was his creative process…”

• Major Distribution Company Producer “His talent is real. For the next work ‘Egg,’ I want him to maintain the tension of whether the egg will crack or not for 95 minutes.”

• The Security Camera “I simply recorded what was there as it was. Interpretation is up to you humans.”

• Anonymous SNS User “The frost in my freezer is starting to look like art too.”

International Expressions

Haiku

• In the frozen case / Time stands utterly still / Golden prize awarded
• Made a mistake / Became a genius / Autumn evening
• Shrimp does not move / Yet the world is / In great commotion
• Stocking shelves / Hand creates art / What irony
• Even silence / In ninety minutes / Speaks eloquently
• Randomness becomes / The ultimate intention / At film festivals
• Next is the egg / Waiting for unbroken / Tension
• Security / Camera watches / Art unfold
• Even tears / Performance they say / And applaud
• The director / Simply confused by / This glory

Kanji / Chinese Characters

冷凍蝦九十分間映像 国際映画祭最高賞 監督店員誤提出謝罪 審査員絶賛次回作鶏卵

Emoji

🏪 📹 ➡️ 🧊🦐 ➡️ 🎞️ ➡️ 🏆 ➡️ 👨‍🍳💦 ➡️ 拍手👏

Onomatopoeia

Shhh… Bzzz… (freezer sound)… Click… Murmur murmur… Sob sob… Clap clap clap! Wow! Staaare…

SNS

• #FrozenShrimp
• #CompletelyUnderstoodContemporaryArt
• #PilgrimageToTheHolySite
• Should I submit my surveillance camera footage too
• Can’t wait for Director Tanaka’s next work
• Now I want to eat shrimp
• #AlwaysCheckYourSubmissionFiles
• Apology as performance, too deep
• Our Fresh Mart is going global
• #WaitingForEggsOnTheShelf