LO AND BEHOLD: REVERIES OF THE CONNECTED WORLD (Werner Herzog). 98 minutes. See listing. Rating: NNN
Given his frequently expressed hostility to nature, it comes as a surprise that Werner Herzog is just as mistrustful of the information technology that’s supposed to lift us out of the natural world.
But that’s what we learn in Lo And Behold: Reveries Of The Connected World, in which the Bavarian filmmaker explores the effect of the internet on human communication and quickly concludes we’re all doomed.
Grimly warning us of hackers, AI and state-sponsored cybercrime, Herzog turns into everyone’s grumpy uncle on Facebook, fretting about how, thanks to our reliance on centralized shipping, America’s food supply is only two brownouts away from total collapse. (The film was produced by NetScout Systems, an “application and network performance management” company, which might explain that angle.)
It’s entertaining but not exactly illuminating – the sort of essay film that’s best watched with knowledgeable friends who can reframe its -stories in a less apocalyptic context.
normw@nowtoronto.com | @normwilner
