ON SATURDAY 14 October at 6.30pm, Sawtell Cinema will screen Disconnect Me, an Australian doco recording the outcomes of independent filmmaker Alex Lykos disconnecting from his digital devices for 30 days.

We call it our phone, but the mobile device we carry around with us connects us to so many services and opportunities from a chat with a family member to researching any topic under the sun, paying our bills and navigating ourselves around the world.

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Through Alex’s real-life experience the doco examines our relationship with our smartphone, described as society’s ever-increasing addiction to our devices.

Documenting his own journey, Alex disconnects from his devices for 30 days.

What starts as a simple digital detox soon spirals into Alex facing unforeseen personal, professional and mental health challenges.

During his experiment, Alex conducts interviews on digital addiction with everyone from schoolchildren and parents to professionals and academics such as Dr Catriona Wallace, Founder of Metaverse Alliance, Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at UNSW AI Institute and Amanda Third, Digital Social and Cultural Research, Western Sydney University.

As Alex delves into the social impacts of smartphones and social media, he also explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI).

“There is one particular revelation about the threat of AI on humanity which absolutely shocked us, and it deserves some mainstream attention,” said Alex.

In a unique twist, Alex says audiences are encouraged to engage with the film in real time using their smartphones.

“This is a fresh, interactive cinema experience,” he said.

“We wanted to have a little fun with it so unlike every other film, we encourage audiences to use their smartphone to interact with various scenes throughout the film.”

In the spirit of documentary films Super Size Me and That Sugar Film, Alex aims to entertain while also creating awareness around the ever-pervasive role of technology in our lives in a film that most people can relate to.

“We can’t wait for audiences to see our film and re-examine the role of technology in their lives.

“We know that smart devices are here to stay, and they offer many great tools to enhance our lives, but have you ever wondered, who controls who?” said Alex.

To view the trailer, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXvV5vcxMWQ.

By Andrea FERRARI