We Live in Public

Director Ondi Timoner, Internet pioneer Josh Harris (who flew in from Ethiopia) and others take audience questions

EMPIRE AVENUE, PARK CITY

This film is a total mind trip.

Internet pioneer Josh Harris has spent his life implementing his unique vision of the future, where technology and media dictate human social interaction and define our personal identity. At the turn of the millennium, Harris launched an art experiment called Quiet: We Live in Public. He created an artificial society in an underground bunker in the heart of New York City. More than 100 artists moved in and lived in "pods" under 24-hour surveillance in what was essentially a human terrarium. They defecated, had sex, shared a transparent communal shower—all on camera. On January 1, 2000, after 30 days, the project was busted by FEMA as a “millennial cult.” Undeterred, Harris struck again, this time using himself as the subject. Rigging his loft with 32 motion-controlled cameras, he convinced his girlfriend to allow him to record streaming video of every moment of their lives from the toilet to the bedroom. After several months, the project backfired, his relationship imploded, and Harris went broke. Mentally unhinged, he fled to an apple farm in upstate New York and later to Ethiopia to escape creditors.

This documentary film is quite a ride, ultimately serving as an exploration of the way society and interpersonal relationships react to the proliferation of technology that's supposedly there to "help" us communicate. It reveals some pretty scary stuff, namely that the more "public" our lives become, the more we feel alone. Technology is an enemy with great power and must be dealt with carefully. Most of the audience left the screening with their heads reeling and with great fear over what humans can do if pushed to certain limits. An extremely well-made film.

Harris himself appeared for the Q&A following the world premier screening to take questions, though he admitted that he hadn't actually come in to watch the film saying that he ironically didn't want to watch himself relive all that history.

Check out a sneak peak at some of the early work-in-progress of the film at http://www.vimeo.com/457221