Home Page and the D-Word in Los Angeles
About the Screening
IDA is joining forces with The D-Word to celebrate their 20th year as the leading documentary community on the internet. The celebration continues with a special screening of Doug Block's 1999 documentary Home Page, which led directly to the formation of The D-Word.
The screening will be proceeded by an informal gathering of D-Word and IDA members and guests at 800 Degrees. Parking at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study will open at 5:30pm for attendees.
The film takes us back to 1996 when Block set out to explore the emerging culture of the internet. Training his wry, analytical lens on the burgeoning home page (i.e. blogging) phenomenon, he falls under the spell of 21-year old cyber superstar Justin Hall, whose literally bare-all online diary spares no details about friends, family, lovers and, inevitably, Block himself. When Hall goads the filmmaker into keeping his own online diary, the story takes an unexpectedly personal turn, with hilarious and deeply affecting results.
This special screening (preceding its April re-release) confirms Home Page to be a prescient historical document of our confession-crazed culture. The D-Word subsequently transformed from Block's personal blog to an online community for documentary professionals, and Block went on to make several other acclaimed personal documentaries (51 Birch Street, The Kids Grow Up, 112 Weddings).
Justin Hall and Doug Block will be present for a Q&A after the film, moderated by former IDA Board President and longtime D-Word co-host Marjan Safinia.