Movie: The Internet's Own Boy

[fabrisse]

I just came from an AFI Docs screening of this movie. It talks about the life and activism of Aaron Swartz, and I cannot praise it highly enough. The film goes on wide release next Friday, including a paid video on demand option, and, for those of you in Boston, they are arranging a showing with a discussion panel at MIT which should be interesting as no one from MIT was willing to comment on screen about Swartz's prosecution.

I've come away with a very emotional impression of the whole thing. The movie certainly has a point of view and presents Swartz as a mensch who followed through on his ideas for a more just internet -- and by extension a more just society. It certainly makes me question the definition of public domain and makes me want to support Project Gutenberg more directly.

Comments

[siderea]

Googling found me that there was already a showing at MIT in early May. Do you know if they're doing another?

(I'm not sure I want to see this. I get very, very angry and upset by this story.)

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

You'll get angrier. I'd say more than half the DC audience, according to the informal poll taken by the moderator at the beginning of the panel, either weren't aware of Aaron Swartz or were opposed to his type of activism.

I rarely cry at movies, but this one made me cry.

I stayed for most of the panel. The director said they'd had a small thing at MIT, but were in the process of arranging something much larger. Aaron's father will be there and a panel, which Knappenberger hopes will include some of the people from MIT who refused to speak (in his word, "Sidestepped") onscreen, to discuss the issues is planned.