Filmmaker Statement

Many people in my life (myself included) struggle with social media addiction. I’m always asking myself questions like "Should I post more? Should I post less? Why didn’t people like this picture of my salad?" It’s exhausting. With my comedy background, I was instantly drawn to the surreal, darkly funny social-media-centered world that Maddie and Peter created. Pear digs deep to unearth the humor in “influencer” and “wellness” trends, pointing out both the absurdity in our obsessions and the people who claim that they can cure us. While I was thrilled to have the chance to bring this not-too-distant-future to life (and use an anamorphic lens to reflect the “wormhole” feeling of our digital lives), the greatest pleasure for me was working with such a talented and committed group of comedic actors. I hope this short gives people the space to question their own social media use. (And if they don’t question it, I hope they’ll at least laugh at it.) Thank you for your consideration, Betsy Kenney