Watch We Live in Public
- NR
- 2009
- 1 hr 29 min
-
7.1 (1,998)
We Live in Public is a documentary film from 2009 that takes a deep look at the life and work of Josh Harris, an internet entrepreneur who became famous for his off-the-wall art projects in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The film follows Harris as he embarks on his most audacious project yet: a social experiment in which a hundred people are invited to live together in a custom-built underground bunker, with every aspect of their lives monitored and recorded 24/7.
At the heart of the film is the idea of "public" and what it means in the digital age. Harris is a man who believes that privacy is dead, and that we are all living in a world where everything we do is recorded and broadcast for all to see. He sees his project, which he dubbed "Quiet", as a way of exploring this idea more fully and pushing it to its limits.
The film begins with Harris discussing his background and early successes in the tech industry. He talks about his experiences as a child, growing up in a family that was obsessed with television and other forms of media, and how this shaped his view of the world. He also talks about how he became interested in art and performance, and how he used his knowledge of technology to create immersive experiences that blurred the lines between reality and fiction.
As we learn more about Harris, we begin to see just how far he is willing to go in pursuit of his ideas. He invests millions of dollars in "Quiet", and spares no expense in creating the ultimate "reality TV" experience. The bunker is outfitted with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, and the participants are given access to everything from guns to sex toys to help them pass the time.
Despite the initial sense of excitement and camaraderie among the participants, things quickly begin to take a turn for the worse. As the days wear on and the cameras continue to roll, tensions rise and relationships deteriorate. The participants become more and more isolated from the outside world, and many begin to suffer from mental and emotional strain.
Throughout the film, we see interviews with a number of characters who were involved in the project, including Harris himself, his former girlfriend Tanya Corrin, and a number of the participants in the experiment. We also see footage from inside the bunker, including some truly bizarre and disturbing scenes that illustrate just how far Harris was willing to push the limits of human behavior.
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how it explores the relationship between technology and human behavior. Harris is a man who believes that we are all living in a world that is increasingly mediated by technology, and that this is having a profound impact on our psychology and our sense of self. He sees his project as a way of exploring this idea more fully and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Harris's vision is deeply flawed. He is so focused on the idea of creating a new form of public space that he fails to take into account the very real human costs of his experiment. The participants in the project are treated as nothing more than guinea pigs in a grand social experiment, and many of them suffer as a result.
Overall, We Live in Public is a fascinating and thought-provoking film that explores some of the most pressing questions of our time. It forces us to confront the ways in which technology is changing our lives, and to consider the implications of living in a world where privacy is increasingly difficult to come by. Whether you are a tech enthusiast or simply someone interested in the human experience, this film is well worth a watch.
We Live in Public is a 2009 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 69.