How To Go Viral

The Beginner's Guide to Spinning in Loops

July 2022 •English

From June 2021 to June 2022, Justin "Jastun" Bland records whatever that is in front of him. He presents an abstract montage of collected videos varying from onscreen recordings to filming special, intimate & mundane in-real-life moments. This short captures our daily routines in life and how we choose to spontaneously record them.

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.

American Murder: The Family Next Door

September 2020 •English

Using raw, firsthand footage, this documentary examines the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her children, and the terrible events that followed.

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.

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

June 2014 •English

Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.

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.

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.

Freenet

May 2016 •Portuguese

Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter

October 2012 •English

Made-for-television documentary about Daniel Radcliffe and his role as Harry Potter.

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.

El perfecto cerdo

January 2005 •Spanish

One of the first works by María Cañas, an excessive metadiscursive exercise on the “pig character” of current information and archive culture.

#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?

Plugged in

January 2019 •English

Plugged In explores how social media and smart phone usage has an effect on our younger generations, those who are now born into a world technologically ready and know nothing else - and how hard it is to remove this element from their lives in these modern times. It looks into the design of social media being a purposeful tool used to keep people hooked in, taken away from face to face reactions and how the attitudes towards people through these mediums have become darker.

Kim Kardashian Theory

January 2024 •French

lXHXN

March 2013 •English

lXHXN (pronounced however you like) is a non-documentary from the 21st century, a story of self-fulfilling prophecies and vicious circles, addiction narratives and narrative addictions. Composed entirely from footage found on YouTube, it tells the tale of a Disney princess who dared to grow up, and the family and world that swirl around her - and every shining star onwards to the future. It is a question, a prediction and a protest. #freckledfreedom

things that won't die

March 2022 •Spanish

After finding some videos she uploaded to YouTube when she was a child, Manuela attempts to follow the trail she herself has left on the Internet. A search that looks into all that things that won't never die and that, especially, thinks about the way we look at ourselves.

Man on Wire

August 2008 •English

On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York's World Trade Center twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit's "highest" achievement.

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.

The Internet Show

August 1995 •English

In this PBS documentary, technology experts Gina Smith and John Levine provide a light, plain English introduction to the Internet, World Wide Web and related technologies for work and home use.

Cicada 3301: An Internet Mystery

May 2018 •English

"Cicada 3301: Internet Mystery" explores the enigmatic online puzzle known as Cicada 3301. In a quest that captivated the internet, this video delves into the intricate challenges and cryptographic puzzles presented by Cicada 3301, engaging viewers in the mysterious world of code-breaking and online intrigue.