TL;DR
Get art and craft supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Photographer Cy Kuckenbaker’s short film “Everything Twice” pairs a slow, handmade analog photography process with his account of learning he was born with a rare disease. The film considers disability, disconnection and self-discovery; the source report does not name the condition or provide details about its diagnosis.
Photographer Cy Kuckenbaker has made “Everything Twice,” a short film that brings together his discovery that he was born with a rare disease and a slow, handmade approach to analog photography. In a report published by Colossal in October 2026, the project is described as a meditation on disability, disconnection and self-discovery, using photographs made with cameras Kuckenbaker built from cardboard boxes and drugstore magnifying glasses.
According to Colossal, Kuckenbaker had noticed since childhood that one of his eyes drooped. He had attributed the feature to a snowboarding accident, but doctors dismissed that explanation. After numerous tests and many years, he learned that he had been born with a rare disease. The report does not identify the disease or give further medical details.
The film follows that personal realization alongside a photographic practice Kuckenbaker began to address burnout. He used homemade cameras assembled from cardboard boxes and drugstore magnifying glasses to photograph landscapes and other sights on the West Coast. Colossal describes the method as labor-intensive and slow, making the act of taking pictures part of the film’s reflection on time and understanding.
Rather than presenting the medical discovery as a standalone account, “Everything Twice” places it beside the repeated work of building a camera and making images. Colossal characterizes the resulting short as both self-discovery and contemplation, including attention to loss and the ways people orient themselves in the world.
How Slow Photography Frames Discovery
The project connects a personal health discovery with the physical process of making photographs. Kuckenbaker’s handmade cameras require deliberate effort, while his account describes a diagnosis reached only after years and numerous tests. That parallel gives the film a structure for considering how a person makes sense of an experience that was not immediately understood.
The work also puts disability and self-perception at its center without reducing the subject to a medical explanation. For viewers, the project offers an artistic account of living with an overlooked physical difference and revisiting an assumption about its cause. The available report describes the film’s themes, but does not establish how audiences or medical professionals have responded to it.
Popular right now
Vitamix Propel Series 750 Professional-Grade Blender, 4 Programs, Black
Bose QuietComfort True Wireless Noise-Cancelling Earbuds, Black
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz. Container, Black
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From an Eye Difference to a Diagnosis
Kuckenbaker’s story, as summarized by Colossal, began with an observation about his appearance: one eyelid drooped. He connected it to a snowboarding accident, but doctors rejected that theory. The report says that testing and many years passed before he learned the condition was present from birth.
Separately, Kuckenbaker began working with homemade analog cameras as a way to combat burnout. The film brings those strands together, pairing West Coast landscapes and sights with the process of learning more about his own body. Colossal’s account does not provide a release date, screening information or a longer production history.
““a quiet meditation on disability and the ways we orient ourselves in the world””
— Colossal’s report on “Everything Twice”
Medical Details Not Yet Reported
The source report does not name the rare disease, explain its symptoms beyond the eye difference, or describe its effect on Kuckenbaker’s health. It also does not specify which tests were conducted, when the diagnosis was made, or which clinicians were involved. Those details cannot be confirmed from the available account.
Further information about the film is also limited: the report does not give its running time, production or distribution details, or indicate whether Kuckenbaker has discussed the diagnosis in a separate interview. The description of the film’s intent and themes is attributed to the report, rather than presented as an independent medical assessment.
Further Film and Diagnosis Details
No upcoming screening, release or follow-up announcement is included in the source material. The next details readers may look for are where the film can be viewed and whether Kuckenbaker or the filmmakers provide a fuller account of its production and his experience of diagnosis. Until then, the confirmed account remains the one summarized by Colossal: a short film linking a handmade photographic practice with a personal discovery about a rare condition present from birth.
Key Questions
What is “Everything Twice”?
It is a short film by photographer Cy Kuckenbaker that pairs his experience of learning he was born with a rare disease with a slow, handmade analog photography practice.
What rare disease does Kuckenbaker have?
The Colossal report does not name the disease. It says Kuckenbaker learned after years and numerous tests that he was born with a rare condition.
What cameras did he use?
According to the report, Kuckenbaker made cameras from cardboard boxes and drugstore magnifying glasses and used them to photograph West Coast landscapes and sights.
Where can viewers watch the film?
The supplied report does not state where or when the film is available. No screening or distribution information is provided in the source material.
Source: thisiscolossal.com
