Screening

About The Cleaners

Rating:
Not rated
Year Released:
2018
Format:
2K DCP
Genres:
Documentary
Metadata:

Dive into a secret, third-world shadow industry of online content moderation through the stories of five “digital scavengers,” a handful of thousands of people outsourced from Silicon Valley whose job is to delete “inappropriate” content from the internet. In a parallel struggle, we meet people around the globe whose lives are dramatically affected by online censorship. A typical “cleaner” must observe and rate thousands of intense images every day, from war-zone photography to pornography, leading to lasting psychological impacts. Yet underneath their work lies profound questions around what makes an image art or propaganda and what defines journalism. The Cleaners  reveals the bitter reality that social media is as much a tool for expression as it is a platform for radicalized social and political opinions, the impacts of which are equally urgent and not fully understood. Contains explicit content and sexual violence, including unsimulated violence, torture, and rape.

 

The Cleaners is a riveting piece of work, prompting reflection on a whole range of big, urgent questions.” – Jake Wilson, The Age 

“If you're on the internet, you need to see The Cleaners.– Richard Trenholm, CNET 

“With its excellent cinematography, ominous tone and incredibly relevant subject matter, The Cleaners is a masterclass in documentary filmmaking.” – Adam Patterson, Film Pulse

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