First (2019), 12 min
A teenager lives her life, toggling seamlessly between her physical and digital self. She walks over a bridge at sunrise, follows a stranger through the streets of the city, and meets up with a friend to wander their favorite spots in NYC. She documents all of this on her phone, sharing her world by uploading to her profile. Comments, in the form of subtitles, puncture this narrative, ranging from casual banter with friends to threatening comments from strangers. It is a glimpse into the realities that teenagers have to negotiate today, how they connect through personas and engage in random digital encounters, and how that shapes them.
World premiere at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2019
Winner of Best Narrative Short at San Diego Asian Film Festival 2019
Screened at e-flux, MOCA LA, The Shed, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Parrish Art Museum
Writer / Director: Micaela Durand & Daniel Chew
Starring: Mae Wangmo
Camera: Daniel Chew
Editor: Micaela Durand
