Plugged in

Kim Kardashian Theory

January 2024 •French

#followme

March 2019 •Dutch

Reporter Nicolaas Veul decides to set up his first Instagram account and accumulate as many followers as possible. Over time, he becomes more interested in the social network's inner workings and uncovers a well-oiled machine based on fraud. While users enthusiastically give likes to selfies, a brisk business with user accounts is underway behind the scenes. There are huge numbers of fake profiles, and internet bots are producing new followers for those who want to feel more successful. Can anything on Instagram be believed?

David Baddiel Social Media, Anger and Us

December 2021 •English

This is a thoughtful and mature documentary that considers whether online rage has real-world consequences. Baddiel has experienced antisemitic abuse on Twitter, where he has 785,000 followers. He has had brushes with what is called “cancel culture” and “callout culture”, when users have criticised his use of blackface on TV in the 1990s, for which he has apologised. He is also a self-confessed social media addict – by which he really means Twitter, his primary focus here – and self-aware enough to admit that while he feels he needs it to promote his work, he also understands that he has a psychological need for an audience, and by extension, for audience approval.

TikTok, Boom.

January 2022 •English

Dissecting one of the most influential platforms of the contemporary social media landscape, TikTok, Boom. examines the algorithmic, socio-political, economic, and cultural influences and impact of the history-making app. This rigorous exploration balances a genuine interest in the TikTok community and its innovative mechanics with a healthy skepticism around the security issues, global political challenges, and racial biases behind the platform. A cast of Gen Z subjects, helmed by influencer Feroza Aziz, remains at its center, making this one of the most needed and empathetic films exploring what it means to be a digital native.

From Local to Social

January 2024 •English

Using local media footage from the London Borough of Southwark spanning the past 20 years, this documentary discusses complex social issues including gang violence, knife crime, and mental and sexual health.

Selbstportrait 1

January 2005 •English

La dictature du bonheur

February 2019 •French

The pursuit of happiness (and the display of happiness on social media!) has become a veritable cult. Happiness has become a social imperative, just like slimness, beauty and success. To better understand this obsessive quest for happiness, journalist Marie-Claude Élie-Morin takes an in-depth and personal look into this seemingly pervasive trend that sometimes leads to painful consequences.

Les influenceurs sont dans le pré

February 2024 •French

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

October 2023 •English

Compulsive Twitterer, Elon Musk bought himself his favorite social network in 2022, and brutally shaped it according to his desires. This punchy investigation relates the stormy relations between the platform and the billionaire, and their impact on the public debate.

Untappd: The Drinkumentary

October 2020 •English

Untappd: The Drinkumentary, a documentary that tells the tale of the launch, growth, and success of building a community of beer lovers on the platform over the last 10 years. The documentary shows life behind the scenes of Untappd, a small idea that turned into a community of close to 9 million users strong. The film features interviews with Founder Greg Avola, his family and close friends, and key players in the growth of Untappd.

The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem

March 2024 •English

From Rickrolling to viral conspiracy theories, explore how an anonymous website evolved into a hub for real-world chaos in this documentary.

Always Online

June 2018 •English

This Norwegian documentary asks the question if you really can go around without a smartphone and social medias in todays society. The movie follows 16 year old Elida as through a week without her smartphone and no access to her social medias. During the documentary we also get to hear the perspectives of some of her fellow classmates, a teacher, a professor in information- and media science at the University in Bergen, and leader of the local support group for victims of bullying.

The Perfect Selfie

January 2017 •Finnish

Teenager Olivia Oras has 20,000 Instagram followers. The documentary follows a year of her life.

You Can’t Watch This

May 2019 •English

Peer through the lens of a high profile political dissident, banished from the online world. After introducing the viewer to each of the five characters, the film recounts how each individual then came to lose their access to social media and the affect it had on them at the time, and since the event. With their stories told, they present the broader issues raised by their media de-platforming and what they foresee in their future in media and the whole of Western Culture at-large.

Kitten of vluchteling?

September 2023 •Dutch

Emma and Eddie: A Working Couple

April 2024 •English

Emma and Eddie live two lives: one on social media and one in real life. The webcam couple is out to save their marriage by starting their own adult web-studio in Eastern Europe.

The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media

December 2021 •English

Examines Gabby's life through the curated lens she created and immerses the viewer in the world of social media sleuthing that was crucial to the case.

What remains

May 2022 •Galician

A reflection about memory, the digital world and the files that we generate daily through the audiovisual gallery of a mobile phone

The Tinder Swindler

February 2022 •English

Posing as a wealthy, jet-setting diamond mogul, an Israeli conman wooed women online then conned them out of millions of dollars. Now some victims plan for payback.

Murder on the Social Network

Invalid date •English

Using real cases, this documentary demonstrates the extent to which violent criminals can use social media to locate and manipulate victims.