By Jaimie Park
This short youth-produced documentary illustrates an interesting perspective on consumer surveillance, as it parallels modern government to the Panopticon, a type of institutional building designed by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century. The concept of the design is to allow a single watchman to observe (-opticon) all (pan-) inmates of an institution without the inmates being able to tell whether or not they are being watched. The name is also a reference to Panoptes from Greek mythology; he was a giant with a hundred eyes and thus was known to be a very effective watchman.
This video was an official selection of BAYMN FEST 2014. BAYMN FEST is an interactive showcase of media produced by youth ages 12-24 sponsored by Hive Bay Area.