In 2003, Andy Baio, a young man from Portland, went to the internet to learn more about the new online discoveries of the day. Instead of news or information, Andy found a video featuring a teenage boy taking a minute to try out some fight choreography with a golf ball retriever acting as a double-bladed lightsaber. His moves were unpolished and the moment unguarded, but the tape was soon discovered by classmates, who decided to isolate the clip and post it online, presumably to humiliate the young man. Andy loved the clip, quickly remixing it and renaming it “Star Wars Kid,” putting it on his blog, where the video went viral in a hurry. Ghyslain Reza’s life was forever altered afterwards. “Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows” examines the return of Reza to public view, with director Mathieu Fournier following the subject as he reconnects with his “Star Wars Kid” past, emerging as an older, wiser man who wants to share parts of his story with the public, interested in teaching others about his horrible experience with viral video exposure, also exploring the damaging ways of social media as it stands today. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
Leave a comment