The Institute
Spencer McCall:
The Institute (USA, 2013)
92 min.
No age limit
Theme: Reality is not real
The Jejune Institute is a twisted phenomenon that scrambled and shrouded the borders of reality in San Fransisco a few years ago. Was it a cult, a game, an enormous multimedia-installation or a social experiment? Over 10 000 people took part in it and it is highly likely that very few of them could answer that question. The topsy-turvy journey that began with ads spread out on the streets pulled its participants down the rabbit hole, where they tumbled uncontrollably from one unexpected event to another.
The movie is mainly compiled with material from hidden as well as security cameras. The material displays authentic situations with confused people caught in the middle of the most absurd circumstances. The recordings and the interviews of both the participants and the creators do their best to interpret this participatory process, but eventually the documentary leaves the viewer in a helpless state of befuddlement. What the hell did I just see?!?! Is this movie even real?
