What is boredom and where does it come from? Can you really die from it? How can you fight it? These are only a few of the essential questions posed by Canadian journalist and documentary maker Albert Nerenberg, whose films have also explored the themes of stupidity and laughter. Through the testimony of university researchers, psychologists, teachers and writers, he seeks to define boredom and explain its many incarnations. Training the camera on himself as boredom victim number one, Nerenberg recounts his discoveries and experiences, including the "tragic" loss of his iPhone and its direct connection with the subject of his film. This doc navigates humorously between fact and fiction, often pushing commentary to an absurd level that questions the science (or pseudo-science) proposed in the film. The filmmaker even visits the Occupy London demonstrations to contemplate the link between boredom and protest movements. Despite its satirical tone and entertaining use of the clichéd television reenactment, Boredom offers some serious food for thought on the evolution of boredom and our relationship with new technologies.
| Directed by | Albert Nerenberg |