Hi,

This is an interesting thread. I often share these documentaries with
friends to try and suss out what they think of the films. I've seen
them all twice by now and am still left in a dizzie.

In general, I read all three as a critique of the "Californian
Ideology", especially of its more utopian hippy roots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Californian_Ideology
http://www.mendeley.com/research/californian-ideology/

However, I don't read much more than a light, somewhat superficial,
critique in the films. And, I see this as a good thing. What the films
do for me is connect a number of disparate ideas together that I might
not have seen before (Ayn Rand, neoliberalism , cybernetics, the
perceived balance of ecology, hippies etc.). Well, I might have seen
them before, but not under the same lens as what the films provide.

I know some read the hypnotic pace of the images as being more
propagandistic than argumentative.  However, I don't see that.  I read
the images (except for the interviews with diagetic audio) as almost a
separate layer.  The narrative argumentation also reminds me a lot of
"Das Netz", another film worth watching.  http://www.t-h-e-n-e-t.com/    

-august.




> Hey Felipe,
>
> Great to hear from you!
>
> I, too watched "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace" and I
> found them very relevant. Of course, Curtis's style is invigorating
> but imprecise - but it's interesting that anyone who examines the
> dominant proposition behind global societies (which seems to be
> alarmingly close to, "human beings are defective components in an
> otherwise perfect system") is seen as alarmingly radical and even
> dangerous.
>
> There's a real question as to whether humanity does indeed have any
> form of collective awareness and criticality when it comes to
> technology and society.
>
> As well as thinking about the sinister possibilities of technologies
> that are being implemented, it's also interesting to consider
> technological solutions which have NOT been implemented - but which
> already exist, and which could solve huge problems at a stroke.
>
> I never cease to be amazed that some solutions, which are cheap, low
> impact and straightforward, and which often have numerous benefits,
> (the bicycle, for example, is effective, pollution-free urban
> transport with many added bonuses in terms of mobility, fitness, and
> reduced accidents). So what gets implemented, and what remains a
> minority activity? Only when technologies present the "get rich
> quick" opportunity for business do they roll out with enthusiasm.
> What this seems to indicate to me is that human wellbeing is
> significantly de-prioritised in favour of "get rich quick" and
> "winner takes all" memes. To call this a shame is an understatement
> of the massive social tragedy involved.
>
> So how could a society have a healthy priority list? How could it
> develop mechanisms which implement those priorities fairly and
> effectively? How could they suppress the unpleasant side-effects of
> "gaming" the system?
>
> These are big questions - and while we can identify the lack of
> collective consciousness which allows the problems of
> techno-industrial society to emerge, that doesn't mean we have
> systemic solutions. Or do we? I am beginning to feel that the answer
> is on a personal level - that each of us, as an individual, needs to
> take greater responsibility for the actions we take (in terms of
> consumption, production, interaction and impact) and allow a
> suitable framework to emerge to support our individual decision
> making.
>
> Enough philosophy - I had better get on with some more work! There
> are people at Access Space who need introducing to each other!
>
> Best Regards,
>
> James
> =====
>
> On 07/05/12 23:45, Felipe Fonseca wrote:
> >Hi Bricos
> >I've been keeping quiet here... lots going on these days. Got back
> >to studying after a decade, moved temporarily another city,
> >struggling to keep on doing things and simultaneously make a
> >living. I always keep an eye on brico-discussions, but have little
> >time to write nowadays.
> >
> >Anyway, last week I watched the whole three episodes of a doc made
> >last year by adam curtis + bbc, "all watched over by machines of
> >loving grace":
> >
> >http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtis-AllWatchedOverByMachinesOfLovingGrace
> >
> >
> >I'm still trying to digest all the seemingly valid and needed
> >criticism distilled along those three ours of videos and would
> >like to ask if any of you has watched it and would have comments
> >to spare.
> >
> >----
> >Meanwhile in Brasil: I'm coming this week to Mauá for the
> >Tecnomagias meeting Vicky is also attending; then by the end of
> >the month there's the Hipertropical MetaReciclagem meeting in
> >Ubatuba - brico-scent, brazilian accent. Next month we're
> >organising Cigac, the international conference on "collaborative
> >environmental management", trying to bridge academia, activist
> >networks and appropriate technologies. Just after that there is
> >Labsurlab in Quito, Ecuador. And that's only two months ;)
> >----
> >Also, my research project is about 'experimental labs' (media labs
> >and beyond). I'll soon ask for help here about the history of
> >medialabs and interesting people/places to get to know.
> >
> >
> >
> >Best from Campinas,
> >
> >efe
> >_______________________________________________
> >Brico mailing list
> >Website on http://www.bricolabs.net
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> >
>
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