The story of Reddit co-founder Aaron Schwartz is set to be screened at The Athena Cinema.
Returning to continue its teachings through film, REACT to FILM is back for more screenings, beginning with a free showing of The Internet’s Own Boy at 7 p.m. Monday at the Athena Cinema.
The movie follows the life of Aaron Swartz, who was a computer programer and political activist who pioneered the RSS protocol online and co-founded Reddit. His activism embroiled him in a two-year legal battle that ended with him ending his own life at the age of 26.
“I’m looking forward to this documentary because the topic is something that is so important to me and my peers,” said Alainna Marincic, president of REACT to FILM Ohio University and a sophomore studying integrated media, in an email. “The Internet is all consuming, it has seeped into almost every aspect of human life, so Internet censorship and freedom of speech should be more important topics in the political landscape. What happened to Aaron Swartz was a tragedy and more people should know what happened.”
Following the movie’s screening, there will be a discussion about the documentary hosted by Joseph Slade, professor for Scripps School of Media Arts and Studies and member of the Bobcats for Suicide Prevention. This discussion will explore the movie’s themes and the impact of Swartz's passing.
“As a non-partisan organization, having the opportunity to create an environment that is open to the sharing of opinions is very important to me,” said Blair Morton, vice president of REACT to FILM. “We must equally represent both sides of the arguments presented in the film.”
Morton, having seen the documentary, found it to be “incredibly inspiring” and said its message is powerful and important.
“A major theme of this film is about how using your voice on the Internet can cause social change,” Morton said. “I think we underestimate our power. In a society where social media and the Internet are so prevalent, we have so many venues to express our opinions and raise awareness to social causes.”
REACT to FILM is working on its second screening, the documentary Inocente, an Oscar-winning short. The group is still negotiating the date that the movie will play at the Athena Cinema.
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