Livestream: Discovering the human side of digital revolution

Have the monks stopped meditating? They all seem to be tweeting,” crackles the voiceover of celebrated documentary and feature filmmaker Werner Herzog in the beginning of Lo and Behold. Herzog is known for his eclectic range of narratives – from Grizzly Man, which chronicles a wildlife crusader’s misplaced and fatalistic sense of wonder of grizzly bears to Into the Abyss, an examination of criminals on death row in America.

In Lo, Herzog attempts to understand the gravity of being connected to the Internet, or as he says, understand the human side of the digital revolution, warts and all. Audiences are treated to a range of experiences, from a trip to the birthplace of the Internet, UCLA where in 1969, the first ever e-message – LO – was sent. They were trying to type LOGIN, but it crashed before they could finish. 

Apart from Tesla boss, Elon Musk, Herzog also interviews a scientist of Indian origin, Joydeep Biswas, from Carnegie Mellon, who intends to create the first AI team of bots that can defeat the Brazilian football team. 

Hopefulness aside, Herzog also delves into the dark side of the Internet, touching base with people who have been at the receiving end of cyber bullying and even a group of modern day hermits, who have built a haven for themselves away from civilisation, due to illnesses occurring from wireless radiation. 

If you are in search of a documentary that will both enlighten and infuriate you, look no further than Lo.

TITLE: Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World

DIRECTOR: Werner Herzog

SOURCE: Netflix