As we approach the release of the film I wanted to take a moment to reflect on
why we made it and where we are three years later. Having had to put back the
release of the film because of the historic events we’ve all been living through
there was a danger that the film would no longer be relevant or have any
meaning. So, it’s really interesting to re-visit it now in a different global
context.
It was a different world when we made the film, a different life. We
shot the film in the before times, before the global pandemic, rising political
tensions, war and cost of living crisis changed all our lives. That’s not to say
that things were all rosy in the garden before recent years, far from it but we
have clearly just lived through a major historical event and that has without a
doubt changed the world. Given the state of the world as I write this I feel
that the themes we are tackling in the film are more relevant now than they were
when we shot it.
The invasive nature of social media on our digital lives and by
default our actual lives, is becoming obviously starker by the day. We can all
see the effects of it and how it is re-shaping our world. I feel we are living
in a most dangerous time where the influence of our online lives is becoming
more of a defining factor on how we move forward and how we interact with each
other and the world around us.
We really have to be careful how we progress. The
world is on the brink of a major change, a big part of which is being driving by
our online interactions. This was the theme that we explored in the film, the
idea of letting something dark and sinister into your life by the most innocuous
means and yet something absolutely deadly if not handled correctly. We are at
the very edge of this new reality and still very much in the early days of this
new way of communicating and like all forms of communication it brings with it a
period of adjustment.
History is littered with new forms of communications
disrupting our lives and the very course of history itself, be it cave
paintings, monks scribing the bible, the apprentice boys distributing pamphlets
around London or social media. They all have the same things in common, the
ability to convey ideas to a mass group in a faster and more efficient manner
but this is perhaps the first time in history that we've been able to
communicate and influence someone on the other side of the planet in an instant.
This is a powerful tool and like all tools it can be a benefit or in the wrong
hands a danger but who gets to decide who’s are the wrong hands? We mustn’t be
scared of this new tool rather we must embrace it, nurture it and guide it in
the right direction so that it is a benefit rather than a destructive force.
May
you live in historic times they say, well we are indeed living in historic times
and I suggest that this will be one of those defining moments of history where
humanity will take a giant leap forward if we can only learn to adjust, watch
for the signs and not ignore the things we allow into our lives to be twisted
and subverted. We all hold the key to this new power, it’s just a case of what
we chose to do with it now.
I am so excited to finally be able to share the film
with everyone. It's been quite the journey what with on set food poisoning,
global pandemics and of course never enough budget but somehow everyone has
pulled together to make an incredible film that we are all proud of. We hope you
enjoy it. In the words of David, "Can you play?"
I hope so.
ONE WEEK TONIGHT –
“Can you play?”
#HALLOWEEN night the world premiere of @GhostMachineMov
exclusively to @Terrortube.
GMT – 19.30pm UTC – 18.30pm EDT – 15.30pm PDT – 12.30pm
@bansheeprods
#SupportIndieFilm #Horror #DontPlay #GITM
