There’s nothing like a good, long documentary marathon session to spend a lazy weekend. I have not done that lately, but I would give an arm and a leg to be able to do absolutely nothing for an entire weekend but watch all the documentaries I can watch, with breaks only for the necessary things.
If you hold the same opinion of documentaries as I do, and you particularly like tech (you’re reading this, so you must have a proclivity for the topic), let me help you feel a little better on a Monday. You may not know it, but there are some pretty interesting tech documentaries slated for 2013. While you might have to wait for some them, the idea of having something to give you your documentary fix ought to put a smile on your face AND those that have been released should do you good for now.
Here are the tech documentaries to watch this year.
TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard
Everyone knows about The Pirate Bay. Whether or not you use it is something you do not have to disclose, but how much do you really know about the story of the guys behind it?
The synopsis, from IMDB:
“Viva La Piracy! An intellectual freedoms documentary based around the interpersonal triumphs, and defeats of the three main characters against the largest industry in the known universe.”
You don’t have to wait for this one, by the way. It’s fully available for download on The Pirate Bay. 😉
Google and the World Brain
If the title is not enough to get your curiosity raging, the synopsis will:
“The most ambitious project ever conceived on the Internet: Google’s master plan to scan every book in the world and the people trying to stop them. Google say they are building a library for mankind, but they also have other intentions.”
The film was released in January, so you should be able to get your hands on it now. Needless to say, this is high on my list of must-watch documentaries – tech or not.
We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks
Julian Assange rocked the world with WikiLeaks. He has his ardent supporters, and, of course, he has made just as ardent enemies. If you want to watch his story, then you have the material. Released in January as well, the documentary does not seem to have very good ratings, though. Judge for yourself!
Downloaded
Napster may simply be a legend to the kids of today, but those who are old enough would see the file-sharing service as THE one that changed the landscape.
Due for release in March, Downloaded is purportedly a straight storytelling of what happened. Straight or embellished, it’s something to look forward to.
Here’s the official trailer.
99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film
While the Occupy Movement is not centered solely on tech, we cannot deny the role that communications technology played. From Twitter to Facebook, we saw the movement explode. Whether you hold together with the ideals of the movement or not, the concept behind the making of the documentary makes it worth watching.
“A compelling portrait of the Occupy Wall Street movement. From personal stories to analysis of the big picture issues, supporters, participants and critics shed light on why and how this movement took off with such explosive force, and what it means. Made in a unique and unprecedented collaboration of 99 filmmakers across the country, the production process of this feature film offers a uniquely diverse way of bringing meaning and context to the movement that has swept up America, and much of the world, with its story.”
Image via http://www.jpkeisala.com/