PressPausePlay – a film about hope, fear and digital culture

November 16, 2011

Is true talent being drowned out in an ocean of digital rubbish? Two young Swedish filmmakers David Dworsky ( age 26) and Victor Köhler (age 23) have made a documentary focusing on creative culture in a digital age – entitled PressPausePlay.

The award-winning film, which premiered earlier this year at SXSW, was made by the lads’ Stockholm-based creative agency House of Radon. The documentary examines the impact of readily-available digital technology on today’s culture of art, film, music and literature. And features an all-star cast including Moby, Seth Godin, Robyn, Lykke Li, Andrew Keen, Sean Parker and Hot Chip.

At its core the documentary looks at whether true talent is being drowned out by mediocrity (think Rebecca Black and the like). But overall the film creates an open dialogue with its guests, which goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. As Seth Godin puts it:
“This changes everything. The industry is dead. There has never been a better time to be an artist”. Whereas renowned author Andrew Keen takes a somewhat different approach, claiming:
“We are on the verge of a new dark age. The creative world is destroyed. All we have is cacophony and self opinion”.

Whatever side of the fence you sit on; this documentary is definitely worth a watch. And the best part is the lads, somewhat ironically, have made it completely free to watch. Just visit the film’s site and download the very cool interactive app, which includes the film plus full-interviews, music and other goodies.

By Samuel Sweetman

Published by: The Swede Beat