In Bright Axiom

So apparently american culture has created a disjointed society which in turn has produced enough lonely and bored people, desperate for connection and meaningful experiences, that their needs could be capitalized on by a company providing a secret society or -depending on how you look at it- "cult" experience. Art is essential, so is a sense of belonging and good intentions are laudable, still I cannot help but feel perturbed by the fact that someone came up with this idea and others bought into it.

An interesting look at what people are willing to believe when it comes to their own insecurities. The cinematography is pretty wild and the idea is cool. It's definitely a documentary that will have you googling after!

If you have never heard of unfiction, ARGs or "house of latitude", then this documentary will make very little sense. Some of the critical reviewers here thinks that this is a mockumentary, which it actually is not. Granted, there are a few reenactment scenes, but they work well for illustrating what the participants would have experienced. The people in this documentary participated in a sort of role playing game, where they pretended to be members of a secret society seeking to change the world. To begin with they did not know that this secret society was pure fiction and entertainment, hence some of them were not sure what was going on and if they were joining a cult. A bit like how entering an escape room, without knowing that it is an escape room, would confuse you even though the point is that you are supposed to have fun. These events really did happen. The documentary however does not explain this at all, and if you do not know about what this type of entertainment is or who Jeff Hull is, then everything will seem like pure nonsense. If they had added 15 minutes in the beginning to explain some of this, then it would probably make a lot more sense, and seem less like a seriously messed up mockumentary.

If you _do_ know, and perhaps even enjoy, unfiction and ARGs, then this documentary is really great and pretty much essential viewing. It evolves around subjects like what makes people interested in such, and the kind of unique experiences they can bring to participants. I think it is especially noteworthy how both the players and the creator(s) of "Latitude" tell us what made the experience great, and what could/should have been better. It is rare that unfiction/ARG pieces are as big and elaborate as in this example, but regardless it does a good job telling how you as a creator need to think a bit ahead and look at things from above once in a while, in order to avoid serious flaws. I think Jeff Hull made something really great and unique with "Latitude", but instead of only criticizing the participants for the downfall, it would have been nice if he had also looked a bit inwards. It could have been avoided with a few simple adjustments IMO. Just because you are kind enough to give people free drinks, does not mean that those people owe it to you to ignore any shortcomings that you yourself is responsible for. Jeff makes fantastic creative and social experiences, but a business man he is not.

Not sure if this was a real doc or a moc-doc, but whichever it was - it was weird. A group of "artists" who seemed like folks on the social fringe: mental issues, self esteem issues, the kind of people ONLY others like them would even bother with...cause they were all so weird and out there.

What a human being really needs is: 1. 4 or 5 close friends who care about you and good enough. 2. a spouse who is loving and good enough. 3. a job that is good enough. 4. a hobby like playing the drums or a book club.

If you don't work on the above, then you'll find yourself going in to a pink room, holding on to two balls, while a giant plaster face tells you the next clues in a lame treasure hunt.