Cyberstage Magazine

Synthetic Pleasures

In the middle of the Toronto International Film Festival /96, I received a call from the publicist from a film called Synthetic Pleasures that I was planning to see. I returned the call only to find myself speaking to Iara Lee, the director of the film. She invited me to the film's party which to my pleasure was a rave of sorts, complete with smart drinks. Synthetic Pleasures, conceived as an electronic road movie, is sort of sci-fi documentary that investigates cutting edge tech-nologies and their influence on our culture as we approach the 21st century. The film is concerned with both the look and the language of high-tech culture. Interviews emphasized the influence of technology on human experience and questioned the implications of having access to so much transformative power. These powers include the ability to transform: (1) our surroundings, synthetic environments (2) our bodies) (3) our identities

SYNTHETIC ENVIRONMENTS

Here we toured some of the world's more extreme examples of synthetic environments: the indoor beaches (Seagaia, also known as Ocean Dome) and ski slopes of Japan,- Ski slopes and beaches with computerized temperatures and wave machines!, the high-tech casinos and artificial nature of Las Vegas, American shopping malls and theme parks etc. Synthetic environments recreate nature while eradicating the distinction between seasons, the danger, the discomfort and the work of getting there-nature without the nature. This juxtaposition of nature and technology dates back to the Industrial Era. Questioning our seeming migration to self-enclosed, man-made worlds, our abandoning of nature for synthetic versions, the film then introduces and defines virtual reality. Interviews with V.R. innovators and experts such as Jaron Lanier, John Perry Barlow, R.U. Sirius and Howard Rheingold are intercut with virtual images, revealing both the scientific and the entertainment applications of the technology (Virtual Reality)

SYNTHETIC BODIES

" I have said that I've donated my body to art, " ........" I think the avant garde is not in art but in the sciences, in biology, physics and new technology and I think artists should look for inspiration in these places." (Orlan)

The second section of the film explores the use of recent technologies to transform the human body. Main topics include plastic surgery, genetic engineering, bio-technology, and the interfaces between humans and machines. The focus was on mankind's desire for physical manipulation and the control of our genetic codes. Interviews include Robert Ettinger, President of the Cryonics Institute, who is attempting to achieve immortality through the freezing of human bodies. Max More, President of the Extropy Institute, looks forward to a future where mankind will have transcended the limitations of nature through the advancement of Nanotechnology (molecular robotics) and the creation of cyborgs (human-machines). The possibility of gender manipulation is discussed by transsexual cyberpunks. Also featured is performance artist Orlan, who explores the liberating potential of plastic surgery in her work. Ravers talk about body piercing, and the Editor of Future Sex magazine imagines a future where we can have sex through computers. Interviews focus on the idea that humans now have the power to re-create themselves at will, that the body is no longer an obstacle or a prison- becoming post-human.

SYNTHETIC IDENTITIES

"If you want to be a blonde, you get your hair dyed. If you want to be a peppy blonde, you get your hair dyed and a Prozac prescription." (Prozac user)

The "post-human" condition is explored further in the investigation of our use of drugs and computer technology to alter our minds. "Cosmetic Psychopharmacology" is the ability to modify our personalities through mood-altering drugs such as Prozac. Today humans are increasingly aware of their chemical existence's and are choosing to take control of themselves on this level. We are able to change subjective experience to suit our needs and desires. Interviews with teen-agers at raves explore the use of smart drinks and psychedelics to expand consciousness and increase productivity. Interviews with Timothy Leary, Max More and R.U. Sirius reveal strong ideas about the human need to take control of our brains and perceptions. The possibility of digitizing human personality and downloading it into computers is theorized about. Interviews explore the ways computers are transforming human consciousness, both by augmenting our intelligence and by creating new modes of interaction and behavior. The world of the Internet and digital communication allow an anonymity (and immediacy) never before possible in human interaction. This includes the abstract space of Virtual Reality. This section of the film included raves, digital-cafes, and imagery from interactive computer programs and CD-ROMS.

All interviewees tend to agree that technology is a tool which can be used in either productive or destructive ways, and that now is the time to start developing an ethical frame for our technological agenda. Barlow, a longtime advocate of freedom of information in the digital world, is extremely vocal about protecting democracy on the Internet. Of paramount concern to most interviewees is the idea that digital and bio-technology could slip out of our hands and be usurped by both government agencies and corporate powers. Synthetic Pleasures taps into both the excitement and the phobia generated by the futuristic visions it encounters. The film is accented with a tribal-trancey-global techno mix from Banco de Gaia to Young American Primitive. I left the film not only with a discovery of both the pleasures and dangers of technological advancements, but also with a Synthetic Pleasures tote bag, mouse pad, T-shirt (produced with 100% synthetic materials), money pouch, poster, postcards, stickers, and along with everyone else, an invitation to join Iara Lee and the Caipirinha production staff for smart drinks back at their hotel. Smart? I'll drink to that!

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