Social media is a unique and dynamic medium that has become a part of our daily lives. This innovative technology has become an all-new world for people to stay in touch with others, enormously impacting our lives, from forging relationships through global connectivity to online enterprises and digital marketing. However, despite making the world a global community, social media have diminished real-world interactions as we have become a society more concerned with Facebook’ friends’ than we are with the people interacting with us face-to-face in our daily lives.
To explore the addictiveness of social media and how it negatively impacts real-world interactions with others, talented filmmaker Mark Worch created the riveting documentary film #UNFOLLOW Movie, which chronicles his journey as he ventures on a social media cleanse in a quest to purify his mind, body, and soul. The interactive documentary delves into the themes of betrayal, depression, money, and sex while providing meaningful insight into the adverse effects of social media on interpersonal relationships.
The brilliant creator was motivated to create the eye-opener following his personal experience and struggles with social media. He began working on the film in August 2019 to provide some critical insights on managing one’s individual use of social media healthily. To do this, he quit social media for 30 days, focusing on his interpersonal relationships. Additionally, he featured various personalities in the documentary, including social media influencers, Hollywood actors, and health professionals, as they shed light on the cultural shift in relationships and social media.
The documentary film #UNFOLLOW Movie is a true masterpiece, and Mark Worch was primarily responsible for filming, audio, postproduction, casting, and performing all of the interviews, including the funding. “The film was entirely self-funded. The biggest challenge was being in charge of everything, from filming, audio, postproduction, and performing all of the interviews on my own,” the visionary director shared. However, he had help with the movie’s finishing touches. His friend Jarrad Noah handled color grading and sound effects, while a fantastic animation company from Puebla, Mexico, created the storytelling animation seen in the film.
Sharing a tidbit about the production process, the independent filmmaker said, “One of the aspects I enjoyed the most during production was all of the street interviews I did. I was shocked at how quickly people were willing to open up about their personal struggles with social media. One girl even started to cry in public while doing the street interview, but she later requested the footage not be used.”
The “Unfollow” Movie premiered on September 28 and can be streamed on YouTube. Since hitting the silver screens, the eye-opening documentary has received high praise from the audience and critics alike. Moving forward, the brilliant director is seeking funding for his next documentary project, which is in the research phase. Like the Unfollow documentary, Mark Worch aims to bring to light other critical social issues affecting the world and spark a discussion of change.
