Watch Chain Camera

Chain Camera is a 2001 mockumentary film that follows the lives of five Los Angeles high school students who are given a camera to pass on to one another in order to document their lives for a week. The movie, directed by Kirby Dick, is shot entirely from the perspective of the camera and is a unique portrayal of the lives of teenagers in the early 2000s.

The film starts with Zack (Ethan Adagio), a skateboarding, self-proclaimed anarchist, who takes the camera from his friend Mike (Brian Dawson) and starts filming his life. Zack's footage shows him trying to come up with pranks to play on his teachers, hanging out with his friends and discussing their various interests, such as music and skateboarding, and trying to make sense of his place in the world.

The camera is then passed on to Cathy (Silva Arzunyan), a shy girl who is dealing with the aftermath of her parents' divorce. She uses the camera to capture her feelings about her family situation, her passion for photography, and her interactions with her friends and classmates. Cathy's footage reveals a side of high school life that is often overlooked, showing the struggles and uncertainties that teenagers face on a daily basis.

Stephanie (Stephanie De La Garza), the next person to receive the camera, is a popular cheerleader who seems to have it all. Her footage, however, shows a different side of her life, where she struggles to balance her schoolwork and her responsibilities as a cheerleader, deals with pressures from her friends to conform, and navigates the complexities of teenage love.

The camera is then passed on to Joel (Joel Michalak), a comedian and class clown who uses humor as a coping mechanism for dealing with a difficult family situation. Joel's footage is filled with jokes, pranks, and observations about life, but also shows the pain and loneliness that he feels beneath his facade of constant cheerfulness.

The final person to receive the camera is Jennifer (Jennifer) who is dealing with the consequences of a troubled past. Her footage is raw and emotional, as she opens up about her struggles with addiction and her hopes for the future. Jennifer's footage brings a sense of closure to the film, as she talks candidly about the impact that the camera project has had on her life.

Chain Camera is a thought-provoking and poignant film that provides a unique look into the world of teenagers in the early 2000s. By giving the camera to these five young people, the film allows them to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings in a way that is both honest and relatable. The result is a film that is both funny and heartbreaking, and one that gives a powerful voice to a generation that is often dismissed and overlooked.

Chain Camera is a 2001 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4 and a MetaScore of 68.