{"id":4039,"date":"2020-06-26T12:48:39","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T11:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/?p=4039"},"modified":"2020-06-26T12:48:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T11:48:41","slug":"in-limbo-what-if-the-internet-could-dream-of-itself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/?p=4039","title":{"rendered":"In Limbo: What if the internet could dream of itself?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Limbo<\/a><\/em> (2015) is a feature-length documentary film produced and directed by Antoine Viviani. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film takes us on a journey into\nthe internet, exploring its networks and systems while questioning notions of\ndata as knowledge, surveillance and digital remembering. The computer is\npresented as a form of alternative memory, true memory so to speak. True memory\nis photographic, clear, and has potential for total recall whereas bio-memory\n(human memory) tends to reference specific feelings, emotions and events \u2013 it\nis often hazy and prone to error. Bio-memory deteriorates with age while true\nmemory strengthens through time, as more and more bits of data are added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film is essayistic and lyrical,\ntaking us through the most pressing questions of what it means to be human in\nthe digital age. What makes us human? Why are we here? Why do we have an urge\nto see ourselves represented? What is memory? How do we define consciousness? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opening scene presents three\npossible definitions for the phrase, \u2018In Limbo\u2019, beginning with a literal\ndefinition of limbo as a netherworld,\nneither heaven nor hell<\/em>, followed by a figurative definition alluding to\nthat which is abandoned, forgotten and on\nhold. <\/em> The final definition is one\nemployed in computer science, defined as data\nerased from a system, but not yet deleted from its storage media. <\/em>These\nthree divergent readings capture the scope of the film\u2019s concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guided by the voice of the narrator, Nancy Huston, the film lends itself as a poetic, philosophical and self-reflexive inquiry into how memory is formed, stored and accessed. This mode is interrupted through interviews conducted with Ray Kurzweil, Gordon Bell, Brewster Kahle, Laurie Frick and Cathal Gurrin (among others) rendered as digital waves connecting, to form the shape of the person speaking. This visual element adds an air of intrigue and expectation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Limbo<\/em> is balanced in its representation and exploration of\nthese difficult questions. It points out the dangers of a society obsessed with\ndata while also showing us ways in which the internet adds to our full\nexperience of the world. The suggestion is that the physical world is not\nenough, that a deeper and more intricate world exists through bits and bytes.\nThis suggestion of the internet as a potentially fruitful place is particularly\nevident in the following scene:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An elderly man is using a computer,\npresumably for the first time. An assistant asks him what he is interested in.\n\u201cDiving\u201d he responds. The assistant helps him type the word into a search box\ntelling him that he can also search for images of diving.\nD\u2026…I\u2026..V\u2026…I\u2026.N\u2026.G. The process is long and arduous but finally, the results\nemerge on the screen. In that moment, the old man\u2019s face lights up. His\nresponse \u201cAh, yeah. Wow\u201d captures his awe and excitement. Urged by the\nassistant to click to see more images, the old man responds; \u201cI prefer to stay\nhere\u201d. And he does. This scene is particularly beautiful because it actively\nworks against the generally accepted narrative of the internet as fast, harmful\nand overwhelming. It reminds us that there are parts of the internet where we\ntoo can say; \u201cI prefer to stay here\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also possible to read In Limbo<\/em> as a manifesto for digital\nmemory albeit one that is not tightly held. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The writers draw on various quotes from Herbert George Wells\u2019 collection of essays; World Brain<\/em>. Wells describes his vision of a new and synthetic world encyclopedia that could assist world citizens in their quest for world peace. Wells declares; \u201cWe do not want dictators, we do not want oligarchic parties or class rule, we want a widespread world intelligence conscious of itself\u2026<\/em>\u201d In the film, this phrase is read over a lightly textured melody urging us to further question; what makes (human) intelligence? what would happen if human intelligence were embedded into a machine? Would the machine become an extension of man? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch it here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Produced, written and directed by<\/strong> Antoine Viviani
Written with<\/strong> J\u00e9r\u00e9my Andr\u00e9, Alain Damasio, L\u00e9a Todorov, Bojina Ponayatova
Voice over<\/strong>: Nancy Huston
Featuring<\/strong>: Gordon Bell, Cathal Gurrin, Raymond Kurzweil, Kevin Warwick, Paul Miller, Laurie Frieck, Liesl Capper, George Dyson
Editing<\/strong>: Pierre-Alain Giraud, Lucas Archambault
Sound editing and sound mixing<\/strong>: Raphael H\u00e9nard, Pierre Bariaud\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Limbo (2015) is a feature-length documentary film produced and directed by Antoine Viviani. The film takes us on a journey into the internet, exploring its networks and systems while … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[981],"tags":[1013,1012,1002],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4039"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4045,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4039\/revisions\/4045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecritter.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}