SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/842067
3 6 SXS W O R L D | M A R C H 2 0 1 7 I N T E R ACT I V E / F I L M | SXSW.COM Three New Films Examine Challenges in the Internet Evolution By Britt hayeS The idea for her documentary came from the simple act of Googling herself, which led to the dis- covery "that certain pirated videos featuring me in them were on 'Tube' sites, and it was impossible to get them taken off." Ovidie also says that "Some of the videos were from films I performed in towards the end of the '90s," and despite the relatively small number of copies produced at the time, "they had now suddenly resurfaced and been seen by upwards of several million people." Professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan experi- enced something similar when his now-infamous sex tape went viral and became the subject of a high-profile lawsuit against Gawker media. Whether it's conventional or adult film (or music, or politics, or literature, or cat GIFs …), professional or otherwise, "Everything that you care about has an online component," says Brian Knappenberger, director of Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press. Knappenberger's documentary examines Hogan's legal battle and offers a fascinating look at the clash between personal privacy and First Amendment rights. Like Goldson and Ovidie's docs, Nobody Speak is another perfect example of the overlap between film and interactive subjects, in which the boundaries grow blurrier every day, and the rela- tionship is both symbiotic and, occasionally, toxic. "There is no separation between the interactive world and every other thing that you care about," says Knappenberger. It has become monumentally difficult to extricate ourselves from the Internet, and nearly impossible to eradicate our footprint, whether it's a selfie or an ill-considered comment left on a blog or, as is the case in these three docu- mentaries, a video that has been uploaded with or (often) without permission. As independent filmmakers, the directors of these films understand that struggle more than most. And yet, as Knappenberger illustrates, this particular archival aspect of the Internet can help as much as it hinders. "To tell a story in the modern age, it's not about just being in the presence of somebody," he explains when asked about the concept of fair use. "It's about understanding their activity online, their social media activity, articles that have been written about them and that they've responded to, and what they've said on various news outlets." "We all exist in the wheel," Knappenberger says. "Our core selves exist now in this fractured, chaotic world of social media." In a time when "fake news" has become a national concern, it falls to documen- tarians like Knappenberger, Goldson and Ovidie to sift through the chaos and hopefully bring us closer to the truth. A t SXSW, the Film and Interactive programs may often seem like familiar neighbors with whom you've exchanged mild pleasantries for years. Maybe you know their names and what they do, yet your interactions are often limited to friendly nods and passing moments based on mutual interests. But these two entities—and the creative minds that drive them and consumers that enable them —share a much deeper relationship that has become increasingly connected as the media land- scape continues to expand and evolve. This year at SXSW, three documentary films emphasize that relationship by exploring subjects that represent the grayer areas that exist within the grayest area of all ... the Internet. Topics covered in the three films: Copyright infringement, the First Amendment, and the precarious state of one of the oldest commercial industries in the world (pornog- raphy, not fishing) have all been drastically affected by the rise and seemingly infinite evolution of the Internet, a place that filmmaker Annie Goldson describes as the "wild west." Goldson is a professor of Media & Communication at University of Auckland in New Zealand, and the director of Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web, a doc- umentary that examines the legal battle between the "most wanted man online" and the U.S. govern- ment in what has been called the "largest copyright case ever." It's a topic that, despite the shutdown of numerous piracy sites, remains relevant, particularly for filmmakers like Goldson, who must continually find thoughtful ways to attract a (paying) audience. One way is through Kimdotcom.film, an "ambitious online companion" featuring more than 100 clips and extensive interview transcriptions that never made it into the finished film. Still, Goldson says, "The fundamental problem remains [in] how we genuinely reward creative people for their incredibly hard work and stimulate creativity while maintaining a free and open Internet." That question is also of concern in Pornocracy, a documentary that examines how the Internet has been both beneficial and detrimental to the adult entertainment industry. Pornography is more acces- sible than ever, thanks to the advent of streaming websites, which allow people to view adult content for free—an attractive concept given the premium pricing of pornographic DVDs and magazines. Yet, while viewers may be avoiding those fees, the steep cost of that content must still be paid somewhere. "Actresses are forced to shoot increasingly hardcore scenes for less and less money and protections," says Ovidie, the director of the film (as well as over a dozen feminist porn features). Kim Dotcom Caught in the Web, photo by Nigel Marple Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, photo by John Pendygraft Pornocracy: The New Sex Multinationals, photo by Magneto Presse The World Premiere of Pornocracy is today (Sunday, March 12) at 1:30pm in the Vimeo The- ater in the Austin Convention Center. The World Premiere of Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web is tomorrow (Monday, March 13) at 12pm, also in the Vimeo Theater. Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press screens tonight at 9pm in Alamo Lamar A. See schedule.sxsw.com or the SXSW GO app.