Institute History
Description
Veteran documentary filmmaker Doug Block, suffering from a case of midlife restlessness and armed with a video camera, sets out to explore his newfound fascination with the Internet. In the early stages of his personal journey, Block discovers college student Justin Hall, creator of the webpage “Justin’s Links from the Underground” (www.links.net), which receives seven thousand hits a day. Hall is famous for his brutally honest diary pages, chronicling everything from his roommate problems to his sex life. With Hall’s help, Block develops “The D-Word” (www.d-word.com), a personal home page which includes his own candid diary. The positive feedback inspires Block to examine more deeply the thin line between personal space and public access to information.
Block’s often humorous quest hits the road as Hall embarks on a cross-country tour to preach the glories of the Internet in venues ranging from coffeehouses to conference halls. They end up in San Francisco where Block meets the pioneers of the Internet. It is evident through his interviews with the cutting-edge subculture that the Internet has become a new and sometimes unusual form of communication, prompting all kinds of “virtual” relationships.
Home Page demonstrates that computers are not only the fastest way to information but are replacing television as our main source of entertainment. Block candidly describes what effect public access to his diary has had on his family, and he leaves us pondering the future role of the Internet as a way to connect society in the age of disappearing institutions, rituals, and communities.
Doug Block, Director
Doug Block was a freelance
cameraman before directing, producing, and photographing The Heck with Hollywood (1991, Original Cinema), currently airing on Bravo and the Independent Film Channel. He has since coproduced the Sundance, Emmy, and Peabody Prize winners Silverlake Life (1993, Zeitgeist Films) and Jupiter’s Wife (1995, Artistic License Films). All three have been released theatrically in the U.S. and broadcast throughout the world. He also photographed the acclaimed 1996 documentary, A Perfect Candidate (Seventh Art Releasing).