Review: We Live in Public

Ever wonder about how much people share their lives in social media these days?  Believe it or not, someone was actively exploring those very possibilities long before the new millennium. DIG! Director Ondi Timoner brought her latest documentary, We Live in Public, to Austin for a special one-week engagement. 

The film focuses on Josh Harris, a dot-com entrepreneur who was ahead of the curve, and a social media pioneer long before MySpace. Harris's story is the cautionary tale of a dot-com pioneer, but the story told here is much more. Harris didn't just have skyrocketing success only to crash in the dot bomb. Even his parties had ulterior motives. 

Among his projects was "Quiet: We Live in Public," a social experiment where artists lived in a sealed community -- eating, sleeping and living with every action being recorded.  There was no privacy of any sort, and every imaginable action was recorded, including some you might not consider. Even after "Quiet" ended, Harris's experiments didn’t, with both celebrated and condemned results.

Director Ondi Timoner not only explores Josh Harris's history as a social media pioneer, she was a participant in "Quiet," so has intimate knowledge of that project. Despite her insider knowledge, Timoner balances the story in We Live in Public with material that contemplates the consequences of living without boundaries.

Ten years after "Quiet," Harris's predictions have come true, as our current obsession with capturing and editorializing our lives begs the question: Are we living or acting? We Live in Public may not make you reconsider tweeting your life away, but it will make you consider the consequences. 

Those in attendance on Friday and Saturday evening had the opportunity to meet Timoner for a Q&A.  While Slackerwood wasn't there, we've had a chance to see We Live in Public, and highly recommend this SXSW hit, especially if you're interested in social media. 

We Live in Public plays through Thursday at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar.  Edit:  This morning, additional shows this weekend are playing at the Alamo Ritz; check the schedule for details.