The Göteborg Film Festival is going virtual for the first time ever, a fact that might elicit sympathy for the organizers. But luckily, they seem to be taking it all in stride and even choosing to go all-in on social distance.
In fact, they're offering to send one film lover to one of the most desolate and lonely places on Earth: Sweden's Pater Noster lighthouse.
If you're selected, you'll get to spend a week—without smartphone or company—at the windswept lighthouse, with one thing to keep you busy: the 60 films making their debut at the festival.
The stunt, the most dramatic of several isolated-viewing experiences being offered by the festival, isn't just a one-off homage to quarantined living. In fact, the festival's theme is "Social Distances," examining through its content and its structure how humans stay connected amid separation.
Personally, a weeklong stay in an inhospitable outpost with no human connection sounds like an absolute nightmare. But then I find myself wondering how it's any different than the isolation we've all experienced over the past year.
The distinction is, of course, that we've been able to blend physical isolation with digital connection, something that would be lost if you ditched your phone and headed off to a frigid archipelago.
I wouldn't mind the solitude. But what's the fun if I can't live-tweet my descent into madness?
How does the offer sound to you? Let me know at the email below or find me at @Griner on Twitter.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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