Locarno 2024 Review: REAL, Hyperconnected Yet Isolated, Exploring the Paradox of the Cyber World

Italian filmmaker Adele Tulli delves into the convergence of the physical and the virtual in her latest docu-essay, Real, constructing a digital mosaic that challenges our understanding of existence in the 21st century. Through a series of interconnected snippets, Real explores what it means to be human in an age increasingly dominated by digital interactions.

Tulli’s work has consistently merged documentary and experimental aesthetics. Her previous film, Normal, examined societal expectations surrounding gender through a series of vignettes that balanced observation with artistic expression.

Tulli’s approach often focuses on how individuals navigate the constraints imposed by modern society. In Normal, she employed various visual techniques to underscore the performative aspects of gender, using a lens that was both detached and intimate to explore the rituals shaping our perceptions of masculinity and femininity.

In Real, Tulli’s style further evolves, drawing on elements reminiscent of science fiction and futurism, yet firmly grounded in contemporary reality. She utilizes these elements to highlight the alienation often experienced in our hyperconnected world. The film employs a range of filming techniques, from surveillance footage to smartphone videos, creating a fragmented visual experience that reflects the disjointed nature of digital interactions.

The film combines contemporary found footage with original material, some of which is overlaid with digital interfaces. While Real initially sets out to examine the concept of reality in a digitalized world, from household appliances to the digital economy, it also echoes themes from Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism and the pervasive influence of expanding dataism and algorithms.

Real is an episodic compilation of clips, vignettes, and snippets, featuring some characters in recurring roles or extended storylines. One notable segment follows two trans individuals in a virtual reality relationship, reminiscent of the 2022 documentary We Met in Virtual Reality. Although the clips are not traditional found footage, they are shot in a cinematic style, with compositions that enhance their narrative impact.

Filmed across various global locations, the documentary has a travelogue quality, capturing diverse scenes such as a family in a hyper-smart neighborhood in South Korea, meditation courses conducted over Zoom, and a protagonist hosting a live session on a platform similar to OnlyFans.

Tulli refrains from inserting external commentary, allowing Real to function as an observation-based docu-essay with clips juxtaposed in a seemingly random sequence, much like a fluid social media feed. The cinematography stands out compared to other documentaries of this genre, which often rely on footage from obscure YouTube channels or forums.

Unlike Dominic Gagnon’s montage films, which create a psychedelic effect when viewed consecutively, Tulli’s work examines the impact of digital technologies on life, considering how they shape social, economic, and psychological dimensions, and reflecting on our growing dependence on technology.

Real maintains a balanced perspective, acknowledging both the liberating potential of digital technology and its capacity for alienation and control. The documentary captures the paradoxes of contemporary life: hyperconnected yet isolated, liberated yet controlled.

The absence of commentary invites multiple interpretations, allowing the film to be viewed as an introduction to a digital era reminiscent of Black Mirror, a cyber-satire, or simply an observation of current realities as the line between the virtual and the real continues to blur.

The film enjoyed its world premiere at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.