All Light, Everywhere
I’ve had two chances to watch “All Light, Everywhere” at film festivals this year, but I didn’t pull the trigger. It wasn’t a matter of lack of interest- the situation wasn’t right just yet. Now that Theo Anthony’s film is coming to audiences everywhere, it’s time to watch it for myself. In a year already loaded with terrific documentaries, Anthony’s takes a look at the history of humanity trying to replicate what an eye sees, and bring it to the modern age, especially when it comes to body cameras worn by police officers, and the control over the image they get. It’s a profound and original exploration of the subject.
Anthony’s visual approach to this subject is brilliant- we only see what the camera sees. Of course, every film or TV show follows that axiom, but the lack of information around the frames of Anthony’s camera is noticeable. We don’t get tracking shots or overhead shots or much in the way of a moving camera; instead, the camera acts as the human eye, always looking forward. One scene in particular makes this approach most noteworthy- we are in the office’s of Axom, which designs tasers and body cameras used by law enforcement, and we are following the CEO up the stairs. The camera is straight ahead, it’s line of sight limited to the frames. Is this truly how the eye sees, though? That’s one of the ideas Anthony wants to explore in his film.
The historical perspective in terms of mankind creating instruments to capture reality is fascinating to watch. It’s always interesting to see the ways in which humanity has tried to “improve upon” nature in their evolution, but for Anthony’s film, this brings us to the modern day use of cameras as policing tools. Body cameras are designed to promote accountability and an honest reflection of the events during interactions between the public and law enforcement, but in showing us officers being trained in using them, and actually practicing using them, we get a perspective on the industry behind them that might make people less comfortable about what they offer moving forward, and police attitude towards using them.
“All Light, Everywhere” feels like a philosophical study more than a documentary. It’s an experiment in filmmaking, a dive into human psychology, and an exploration into the psyche of people who see our changing views of the world from their specific vantage points, whether it’s a community uncomfortable with a drone overhead of a community, a businessman who sees their technology through a financial lens, or a profession that is being asked to hold themselves accountable for their actions, and what that might mean for the technology in the future. All from an idea that man had over a century ago to capture a bit of reality for posterity’s sake. As Anthony explores quite successfully, and lays out plainly in the opening minutes of his documentary, the eye is complex, and doesn’t always see what it thinks it does. The same goes for the camera.
