A new short film, Humanity (1984–2026), examines camera use and what its growing prevalence means for personal privacy. The film premieres Thursday at the MSU Museum.
MSU journalism professor and filmmaker Troy Hale directed the film alongside Stella Govitz. Hale spoke with WKAR Morning Edition host Melorie Begay about the film ahead of its premiere. Click the player above to listen.
Interview Transcript:
Melorie Begay: As mass surveillance technology like drones and security cameras becomes more sophisticated, more people are speaking out with concerns about personal privacy. But others see these devices as a way to ensure safety.
A new experimental short film screening at the Michigan State University Museum tomorrow explores those nuances.
Journalism professor and filmmaker Troy Hale directed Humanity (1984-2026), and he joins me now. Thanks for being here, Troy.
Troy Hale: No problem.
Begay: So first, what inspired you to make this film?
Hale: Well, just walking around in daily life and seeing how many cameras are everywhere. I mean, I walked through a big box store and decided to count the cameras one day, and there were 109 cameras in one of these massive stores. And it just got me wondering why we've come to this point.
Begay: When making this film, you decided to make it experimental. Why did you choose that instead of a more traditional documentary?
Hale: Well, one thing is, I went to an experimental film festival, and I'd never made a film like that. I've always been pretty standard. I was a television journalist for a long time, so this was an opportunity to expand my horizons and try something new.
Begay: This film brings together a range of videos and perspectives from all different types of people, and they're all talking about surveillance and security cameras, including arguments for and against their use. Why was it important to include all of those different voices?
Hale: Well, it's every camera. It's not just the surveillance cameras. I mean, right now, I've got my glasses on, and they're recording. We have cell phones, and I think 60-some percent of humans have smartphones with cameras in them. So it was just about the fact that everyone is being recorded at all times. There are dash cameras in cars and things like that. I don't think there's a moment in our lives when we can go somewhere and not be recorded.
Begay: I want to ask about the visual style of the film. It has this almost kaleidoscopic feel that's very captivating, and it's very rapid as well. But at times it feels a little uneasy. Was that something you were trying to create?
Hale: Yeah, I think so. Part of it was that artistic style I wanted to put into it, but it did become frantic, like you're talking about, and that also represents the number of cameras that are on us at any given point.
Begay: As you were making this film, was there anything that you learned or anything that surprised you?
Hale: Yeah, all kinds of things. I mean, I've been working on this for four years, and just recently, in the last couple of months, this Flock camera craze has come out, and people are getting really upset about it. So for me, it's the perfect time for this film premiere. It worked out really, really well. I think people are more aware of it now, and that's something I became aware of a little bit before everybody else because I've been making this film.
Begay: The title of this film includes 1984, which is a callback to the George Orwell book. Why do you think that book still has such a profound impact when talking about modern-day technology?
Hale: Well, I guess Orwell got it right. I think that's probably why. And in part of the film, they say, "This is kind of the only book that warned us about it." So I think that's why it continues to ring true for us.
Begay: As a filmmaker, you are behind the camera a lot of the time, and you're also recording right now. How do you view what you're doing when it comes to other people being observed and their privacy?
Hale: Right, and that's what I mean. That's what part of the film is about. We have those rights. The First Amendment gives us those rights to record. I think a lot of it is that people don't understand what they're allowed to do and what they're not allowed to do. With journalism, we have to record history. We're the first line of history. But now a lot of this recording is done by private companies that are keeping the data, so it's something for us to become aware of, and it's worth a conversation. I think the conversation is starting to happen, especially with these Flock cameras. It seems like it's the one thing that both sides of the aisle can agree on: that we don't want to be recorded by our government and tracked.
Begay: Ultimately, what do you hope people take away from this film?
Hale: It's about education. It's about starting a conversation about this and making people aware. I walked onto campus today and passed a couple of those license plate reader cameras. I also walked into a garden, and there's a little box on the side that says, "This is an experiment. This is not a camera recording you." So these researchers were aware enough to say, "Hey, just FYI, we're not capturing your data with this thing that might look like a camera."
Begay: Troy Hale is an MSU professor of journalism and a filmmaker. Thanks for being here, Troy.
Hale: Thank you so much.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
