CATFISH (2010)

Cast

Plot

Directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman are young New York media types who document their lives as a matter of course. So when photographer Yaniv, Ariel’s brother with whom they share office space, receives an email from Abby, an 8-year-old Michigan girl, seeking permission to paint one of his photographs, their recordings suddenly get a lot more interesting. Though unsettling viewing at times, the film provides an excellent insight into an age where online social networking has created a kind of parallel world, where all is frequently not as it seems. The filmmakers should also be commended for their sensitive handling of the situation as it develops, demonstrating a warmth and sincerity that is plainly at odds with the potential for distance and coldness the digital age encourages.