The Boy With a Camera for a Face is an award-winning short film by Spencer Brown about the life of a boy who was born with a camera where his head should be. The camera records everything that he sees and experiences throughout his life. A satirical fairytale (narrated in verse by Steven Berkoff), the film may seem silly and at first, but as it progresses through the boy’s life, it presents the viewer with some important questions about our society.
Despite having a camera for a face, the protagonist lives a life like many others; dealing with bullies, parents, and even falling in love. But when his camera-face recordings are made public, he finds himself alone in a world where everyone else is captivated by watching his life unfold in real time.
The film is darkly humorous and addresses real issues about our society’s obsession with social media and the desire to live vicariously though the lenses of others. How does constant surveillance affect our world now, and how will it effect the future? And which are we, the camera-faced who records every moment of our lives, or the one who consumes it? Or both?
View more of Spencer Brown’s work on his website.
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