Five years ago director Daniel Moshel set out on an ambitious journey. His feat? ‘Login 2 Life’, a new documentary that examines how engagement in the virtual world is not an escape from reality but rather an extension of our everyday human existence.
Moshel’s motivation behind making the film emerged after an interaction with the World of Warcraft and a desire to get a glimpse of who was the human behind this new phenomenon.
World of Warcraft (WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by Blizzard Entertainment. The setting takes place within the Warcraft world of Azeroth and upon release in 2004 the game has acquired the title of being the most popular MMORPG in the Guinness World Record with over eleven million subscribers.
“Moshel also had a fascination with the fact that there are more than twenty million people in Second Life (SL) who are engaging in places that don’t physically exist but yet they are able to have meaningful relationships,” says Bernhard Drax, who was the creative genius behind the films music. “He also wanted to show that in this world there are meaningful interpersonal interactions that’s completely transforming the way we live in a globalised world.”
‘Login 2 Life’ offers a day in the life glimpse of six protagonists who have found their place in online virtual spaces. Personally, I was unable to view the film in it’s entirety during the live streaming due to lack of unlimited Internet access but the trailer definitely left me with a desire to want to know more about these characters.
Moshel’s subjects include a German singer who performs live to a host of online fans, several World of Warcraft players and an entrepreneur who has made a name for himself in the virtual sex industry while maintaining a life as a dedicated family man.
By far the most striking character was sixty-year-old Gentle Heron, with three adult children who lives in a suburb of Denver. Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which is a autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord or the central nervous system, Heron decided to explore the options the virtual worlds offered. As a result, she established ‘Virtual Ability’ Island. The island was developed through a partnership between the Alliance Library System and Virtual Ability Inc. (VAI) with the goal of developing an orientation and training center for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses in SL.
“She uses this is an incredible tool for communicating despite her disabilities. This isn’t someone who wants to be alone. Technology enables us to stay active despite our limitations,” adds Drax.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about these spaces. One is that many people think that this is a game and wonder why would I want to interact with a computer. I tell people that the other person or avatar is a real person and the interaction is real.”
I mean in the past communication and start ups required a lot of money and red tape but now virtually anyone can established a presence online, market using the latest social media tools and now with SL you can create virtual office space and with tools like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter one can raise capital through alternative funding routes.
“The Internet breaks down the barriers of where you do business. What this means for our children is that they have to compete with the world, which sounds exciting because it means that they will be forced to create something unique. It also opens us up to a greater audience but if you’re unaware of how to navigate these tools then you’ll get lost in this digital revolution,” Drax concludes.
“We are now able to interact without any geographical border and people have to be ready for this but most are not. This has nothing to do with age but rather ideologically because of fear of the Internet and technology, which causes a lot of resistance.”
‘Login 2 Life’ is now hitting the film festival circuit so if you comes to an area near you I would highly recommend checking it out as it offers fascinating insight into how online tools can reap positive affects in the real world.
