Gaze into the Internet Mirror in ‘Error 404: File Not Found’
Have you ever thought about how every time we search something, send and email or even click on something, we’re creating a historical document of our virtual pursuits? Filmmaker Claire Dubosc has created a short video titled “Error 404: File Not Found” from the perspective of the Internet, as if it’s watching us go about our day. Claire’s film shows us that the Internet in many ways is like a giant mirror being held up to humanity. We can see everything we do reflected back upon up us, the good, the bad, and the astoundingly boring parts of life all in one place. In the film, Claire pieced together hundreds of uploaded videos to try and create a portrait of a day through the eyes of the Internet. If you look closely she has painstakingly entered in each new video (most only lasting a fraction of a second) the information that we supply the computer – date uploaded, number of views, keywords and tags, and the author’s name. It’s fascinating to watch so many shots of nearly the same thing (the men tying their tie sequence is excellent), and it shows us how, despite our differences, we live closely related and intimate lives. Claire’s film ends with a proposition, what would happen if the Internet failed us? What would happen if suddenly, everything, was a 404 error? This five minute film is mesmerising and completely worth watching.