The Cleaners
A year ago, my colleague Georg Tschurtschenthaler contacted me about a sensitive documentary project he and his team at Gebrueder Beetz needed some assistance with.
I offered to meet with the first-time documentary directors Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Bloc at Glorietta Landmark, just around the corner for my place here in Manila and while drinking overpriced fruit juices I discovered that they were here in Manila for a fascinating mission.
To meet “The Cleaners”
https://www.theverge.com/…/sundance-2018-the-cleaners-movie…
Facebook you see, perpetually has barbarian at the gates. Those barbarians are you and me and everyone else who uses the platform. At any given moment an untold number of Facebook users across the globe are trying to upload bucket loads of ultra violence, sex and nudity to the social media network.
You can see how unchecked, this could become a major problem and embarrassment for the social media juggernaut. But here is the twist, Facebook is committed to freedom of speech. So how do you draw the line between smut and expression?
It’s very thin and a computer algorithm has no hope of solving these riddles. To clean, they need human beings that can review and judge these issues on a case by case basis. And OF COURSE that happens here in the Philippines.
Moritz and Hans wanted to meet these cleaners and find out what it was like having to clean up the tide of filth flowing from the largest social media platform in the world.
I was fascinated by their mission and was glad to help, under strict confidentially of course. Harnessing my network, I provided them with the local specialists they needed to navigate the Manila segment of their production. My role was minor, a footnote – but I was glad to make a contribution to what I knew would be a conversation starter documentary.
Now (proving how small this community is) my longtime colleague Hussain Currimbhoy picked up the documentary for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where it is making waves.
I am happy for the filmmakers, Georg and his team and the local film professionals that collaborated with them here in Manila. I look forward to seeing their documentary for myself ASAP.
And very lastly, I would urge anyone interested in plugging into the dynamic global documentary community to consider applying to the Crossing Borders Documentary Campus / EDN – European Documentary Networkworkshop series.
Supporting Euro / Asia factual collaborations, it allowed me to connect with Georg, first as a mentor / speaker for the series and later as a colleague.
You will be well rewarded. If you’re a filmmaker looking to gain insight / support behind your creative documentary here in Asia, apply to the workshop. If you get in you will be well rewarded.
