CONNECTED:
An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology FILMMAKER | Tiffany Shlain
F
ifteen years ago, I founded the Webby Awards because I was fascinated by how the Internet was connecting people all over the world in new and unexpected ways. And being so
interested in the ways things are connected, it always struck me how so many of the conversations about the problems of our day were discussed as separate challenges. Whether the environment, women’s rights, poverty or social justice, it became more apparent to me that when you perceive everything as connected, it radically shapes your perspective. The concept of interdependence has been around since the dawn of humanity, but the relatively recent component of the internet has added this new layer that connects us in a fresh way, giving the world a new type of central nervous system.
I am a filmmaker and so decided to craft a film that would tell the story of being connected in the 21st century. I asked my father, Leonard Shlain, to be a cowriter on the project. My dad was a surgeon, but also a pioneer in writing about connections between science, consciousness, the human brain, art and civilization. His best-selling books included The Alphabet Versus the Goddess; Sex, Time, and Power; and Art & Physics. He was an incredible visionary, had a wonderful knowledge of history, and I felt he would make an enormous contribution to the film. Just as we began production on Connected, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. I quickly discovered that here I was writing about all these interrelationships and the one great connection I had overlooked was the emotional connection. That’s when I began the difficult process of rewriting the film to include my personal story of connection interwoven into the bigger story of connection throughout history and where I think we are heading. The tagline of the film is Connected: An Autoblogography about Love, Death & Technology. “Autoblogography” is a word we made up in order to convey that the film is autobiographical, but also has to do with technology and has a lot of humor in it.
My father loved quoting Sophocles: “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” So, from the beginning of time, every new technology and advancement brought with them a complex mix of positive and negative repercussions as well as unintended consequences. Connected addresses the potential of these new 21st century technologies, the importance of harnessing their powers,
but also covers the ramifications when these new technologies take over and even overwhelm our personal lives.
I’ve started practicing what I call “technology Shabbats” with my family. Every Friday at sundown, our whole family disconnects until Saturday night. No cell phones, no Internet, no television, no iPads. No multitasking. We disconnect completely. Or maybe I should say we connect completely—with ourselves and each other.
I am learning that turning off technology is just as powerful as turning it on, and that our society needs both. Technology can be so enticing and overwhelming, but we also need to remember how important it is to be fully present with the people you love and also be alone and quiet. The potential of technology globally and personally is exponential, but we need to know where the off switch is and when to shut it down.
The goal of Connected is to launch a global conversation about what it means to be connected in the 21st century. I hope that the film will be the catalyst for this global conversation. In an effort to expand the power of the film, we invite special thought leaders to join us after showings in theaters, and we have a very active Facebook page, where we constantly add new articles about this topic and are happy
to have a very engaged community. We also have an educator’s kit including conversation cards, a film guide, and a curriculum for educators. People can also write to us to organize their own screening on our website, at
connectedthefilm.com
We hope you will join us in this conversation. What does it mean to be connected in the 21st Century? What’s the good, what’s the bad, what’s the hope?
Honored by Newsweek as one of the “Women Shaping the 21st Century,” Tiffany Shlain is a filmmaker, artist, founder of the Webby Awards, cofounder of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, and a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Tiffany’s work with film, technology and activism has received 44 awards and distinctions, and her last four films have premiered at Sundance. Learn more at
www.ConnectedtheFilm.com.
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