Part of my weekly tasks consists of browsing the Internet in search of new filmmaking talents. And, you know, because I like watching films... I usually find several movies I like or think would be suitable for Film Annex. But some days, like yesterday, I find THE movie that stands out, the one that I'd like to have on our platform and help promote. And when, as a bonus, it also relates to a personal interest of mine, what more can I ask?
This week, I came across a short sci-fi movie, called Plurality by filmmaker Dennis Liu, that goes with the catch phrase "In the year 2023, the Bentham Grid goes online...". I see 2023 and I automatically think either future of the Internet or post-apocalyptic world. This time, it's all about technology. This 14-minute short gives you a glimpse of what life could be 10 years from now in New York, a city turned into a grid where automatic DNA recognition is the way you buy, enter your apartment, pay for your cab ride... and where you are being watched. I immediately think Big Brother and, by extension, the all recent concerns about privacy settings on social media platforms.
Still from Plurality.
How would you live in a world that knows about anything you do, anywhere you go, anyone you see, anything you buy? But wait, we already do... You tell people on Facebook what you do and listen to, you check in on Foursquare, you tag your friends in pictures... I'll give it to you, you can (still...) control what information you want and don't want to share. But the more social media platforms evolve and update, the more difficult it becomes to keep control of your privacy. Just last week, a young man blogged about how he was able to collect phone numbers from Facebook accounts. And I'm sure a lot of people don't know how much of the information they put online is actually visible to the public.
In real life, we put curtains on our windows to preserve our privacy, we have closed mailboxes so no one reads our personal mail, and we don't go around with name tags displaying our profession, religious views or favorite sports. So how about our online life? Where do you think the use of social media and new technologies is heading? To a Big Brother world, or a control-freak and super-protective version of our private life?
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts and I recommend watching Plurality! It took 2 years to make the movie,and you can tell, because the quality of the story and the images is simply impressive.
