Erasing David: Surveillance vs. Privacy in the 21st-Century Data State 2010
Distributed by Films Media Group, 132 West 31st St., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10001; 800-257-5126
Produced by Ashley Jones
Directed by David Bond
DVD, color, 80 min.
College - General Adult
Ethics, Law, Political Science, Social Sciences, Sociology, Technology
Date Entered: 09/27/2012
Reviewed by Margaret M. Reed, Riley-Hickingbotham Library, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARErasing David is a fascinating journey that exposes just how vulnerable we are by the trail of personal information we unwittingly leave behind.
British filmmaker David Bond chronicles his attempt to vanish from the ever-present eye of his country’s elaborate surveillance network. To find out whether he can go undetected for a month, Bond enlists private investigators to try and pinpoint his whereabouts. In preparation for his disappearance, Bond seeks to know how much information public and private entities have collected on him. His inquiry yields a stockpile of personal data the private investigators are later able to tap with relative ease. Rummaging through Bond’s trash also provides the detectives enough clues to locate Bond only 18 days into the experiment.
Erasing David sheds light on the hidden consequences of society’s insatiable appetite for information. Interviews with privacy experts and victims of mistaken identity provide compelling evidence of the irreversible damage such invasiveness can unleash.
Creatively, the film has a mysterious, suspenseful edge. Its opening black-and-white sequence, voyeur-like camera angles, and occasional night-vision shots convey the intrusiveness society imposes at the expense of privacy.
Among its screening accolades in Europe and the U.S., Erasing David won “Best Feature Soundtrack” at the East End Film Festival in 2010.
Highly recommended for academic and public libraries, Erasing David is an excellent resource for courses in culture, ethics, law, social science, and technology.