Recognizing the role modern technology had in the conception of his triplets, a filmmaker contemplates its impact and interrelationship with our sense of being.
Having turned to in vitro fertilization after difficulty getting pregnant, filmmaker Avi Zev Weider and his wife became the parents of triplets. From their conception to their neo-natal care, their children owed their existence to technology, leading the filmmaker to huge questions around our increasingly complex interdependence with machines. In exploring these questions, Weider seeks the input of thinkers with wildly divergent perspectives, while also exploring his own story and those of others dramatically changed by technology.
Weider has just shy of three weeks to reach his Kickstarter campaign goal of $6,000 to assist with completion costs. Currently it’s just past the halfway mark, so those interested and able to contribute are encouraged. Additional information about the film, which makes its premiere in competition at SXSW in just over a week, may be found at its website.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing Avi’s film – beyond being a fan of past docs he’s produced, including Stephen Kijak’s CINEMANIA and his wife Alexandra Berger’s recent Slamdance film DANLAND, it seems like he’s found a really smart way to approach the “big” questions using his personal story as an appropriate jumping off point. As I’ve written about before, docs trying to cover large existential issues usually make for pretty painful viewing, but in this case, the practical focus on technology should provide a concrete anchor to prevent this from straying too far into the clouds, and while the story of Weider’s fatherhood is a recurring theme to help personalize and ground his meditation, it’s not the sole focus.
what (not) to doc 
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