Next up in today’s Sundance Film Festival documentary profiles: LO AND BEHOLD, REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD, Werner Herzog’s meditation on the Internet.
Festival Section:
Documentary Premieres
Sundance Program Description:
Society depends on the Internet for nearly everything but rarely do we step back and recognize its endless intricacies and unsettling omnipotence. From the brilliant mind of Werner Herzog comes his newest vehicle for exploration, a playful yet chilling examination of our rapidly interconnecting online lives.
Herzog documents a treasure trove of interviews of strange and beguiling individuals – ranging from Internet pioneers to victims of wireless radiation, whose anecdotes and reflections weave together a complex portrait of our brave new world. Herzog describes the Internet as “one of the biggest revolutions we as humans are experiencing,” and yet he tempers this enthusiasm with horror stories from victims of online harassment and Internet addiction.
For all of its detailed analysis, this documentary also wrestles with profound and intangible questions regarding the Internet’s future. Will it dream, as humans do, of its own existence? Can it discover the fundamentals of morality, or perhaps one day understand the meaning of love? Or will it soon cause us – if it hasn’t already – more harm than good?
Some Background:
Director/Producer: Werner Herzog
This is only the third film by Herzog to screen in Park City, following the Sundance award-winning GRIZZLY MAN (2005) and the fiction feature WHERE THE GREEN ANTS DREAM (1985).
Producer: Rupert Maconick
Maconick previously executive produced Herzog’s short film FROM ONE SECOND TO THE NEXT, as well as Michael Apted’s BENDING THE LIGHT (Traverse City). He is also a producer of the upcoming fiction film EDDIE THE EAGLE.
Executive Producers: David Moore, Jim McNiel, Dave Arnold, and Tennille Teague
McNiel is the Chief Marketing Officer for NetScout, a network performance management leader that has organized the Guardians Guild, a group of professionals within the net industry focused on the smooth operation and continued development of the connected world.
Arnold is the Executive Creative Director of Pereira & O’Dell NY, while his colleague Teague is Head of Production at the advertising agency.
Editor: Marco Capalbo
Capalbo has previously worked with Herzog, cutting his ON DEATH ROW docu-series.
Why You Should Watch:
Herzog’s latest employs the auteur’s signature style, providing a wide-ranging, ever-curious exploration of the past, present, and potential future of our technologically-enabled virtual lives.
More Info:
Trailer
For Sundance screening dates and times, click the link in the first paragraph.
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