With curiousity and humour, director David Borenstein travels the world to investigate who is pulling the strings when the internet makes us angry, sad, horny or just plain indifferent. From the American internet troll, a burnt-out superstar in the Asian influencer industry, a cynical fake-news factory in Eastern Europe, Russian state propagandists and an online dominatrix, this is an alarming contemporary diagnosis, with a bold attempt to also look at solutions.
Press
“Alarming and hilarious” – Deadline
“The film constructs a tapestry of human stories across four continents, depicting a world where our emotions are commodified and instrumentalized with ruthless efficiency.” – Business Doc Europe
“Borenstein keeps his eye and his lens focused on the human perspective of the story, and it’s clear how much he wants to see hope and the possibility of a happy ending for the numb nation.” – Cineuropa
“Laced with dark humour.” – Variety
Festivals
CPH:DOX F:ACT AWARD Nominee | World Premiere
Director's Biography
US director David’s Borenstein’s debut feature doc “Dream Empire,” about the building boom in China’s ghost cities, won the top award at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in 2017. For several years David has made films for networks including BBC, Al Jazeera, VICE and NYT Op-Docs.