Short Film, Short Review: THE CAMERA AND CHRISTOPHER MERK

A study in voyeurism and what seems to be an ever increasing number of people eager to be watched, Brandon Cronenberg brings his second short film to the Toronto International Film Festival with The Camera And Christopher Merk.

Christopher Merk is, seemingly, a statistically average young man. Nothing that unusual about him. Nothing particularly wrong. The only really unusual thing about Christopher is where he lives. His apartment is apparently the site of some sort of social experiment, a building where housing comes free but only if you agree to live your life on camera - with the video feed from your camera available to every other resident of the building via their television - twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in your apartment, everyone can watch you. Anyone who wants to visit must sign a release form agreeing that they will also be on camera for the duration of their stay.

The residents of Christopher's building are much as you'd expect - a mix of sexual exhibitionists and performance art freaks. But Christopher? He just sits and watches, at least until he gets a reputation for being boring and some other residents decide to spruce him up a bit.

Are the Cronenberg genes if effect here? If you're talking in terms of quality, yes, absolutely. But while Brandon may be his father's son in terms of skill he's his own man in terms of interests and voice and it will be fascinating to see how he develops from here.

The Camera And Christopher Merk screens at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of Short Cuts Canada Programme 2 on September 10th and 12th.