Web Junkie Explained

Web Junkie
Director:Hilla Medalia
Shosh Shlam
Producer:Hilla Medalia
Shosh Shlam
Neta Zwebner-Zaibert
Music:Ran Bagno
Cinematography:Shaoguang Sun
Editing:Enat Sidi
Studio:Chicken And Egg Pictures
Impact Partners
Shlam Productions
Distributor:Dogwoof Pictures
Runtime:79 minutes
Country:Israel
United States
Language:English

Web Junkie is a 2013 American-Israeli documentary film co-written, directed and produced by Hilla Medalia and Shosh Shlam.[1] [2] The film premiered at the 2013 Jerusalem Film Festival on July 10, 2013.[3]

The film also premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2014.[4]

After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Dogwoof Pictures acquired the worldwide distribution rights of the film. The film will be broadcast in the UK at BBC Storyville, who has acquired the British TV rights of the film.[5] [6] [7]

Synopsis

The film focuses on the Chinese government's classification of internet addiction as a clinical disorder and focuses on the treatment used in Chinese rehabilitation centres.

Reception

Web Junkie received mostly positive reviews upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 67% rating based on reviews from 6 critics, with an average score of 6.1/10.[8]

Dennis Harvey of Variety, wrote in his review that "A bizarre and entertaining documentary about China's attempts to reprogram its Internet-addicted youth."[9] Duane Byrge in his review for The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A startling look at China’s Internet addiction centers."[10] Drew Taylor from Indiewire praised the film by writing that "The specificity of the documentary...is one of its biggest strengths since it is able to place you right alongside these kids...But it also has the effect of being even more heartbreaking."[11] Dan Fienberg of HitFix gave the film grade B and wrote that "Web Junkie is a little sad, a little funny and a little scary. I'd say that I wish it had been a little more provocative, but I'm sure conversations after screenings will serve some of that purpose and those are conversations worth having."[12] In her review for The Telegraph, Amber Wilkinson praised the directors of the film that "Directors Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia get a remarkable amount of access to one of 400 rehabilitation camps set up in China."[13] However Dan Schindel of Movie Mezzanine criticized the film, writing that "What really undoes the film is its formlessness."[14]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult
2013Jerusalem Film FestivalHonorable MentionHilla Medalia and Shosh Shlam
2014Sundance Film FestivalWorld Cinema Grand Jury Prize: DocumentaryHilla Medalia and Shosh Shlam

See also

List of TV and films with critiques of Chinese Communist Party

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Behind "Web Junkie," a Documentary About China's Internet-Addicted Teens. April 14, 2014.
  2. Web site: China's internet rehabs highlighted by Web Junkie documentary. April 14, 2014. January 27, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140127021428/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/10591750/Chinas-internet-rehabs-highlighted-by-Web-Junkie-documentary.html. live.
  3. Web site: HILLA MEDALIA. April 14, 2014.
  4. Web site: Sundance 2014: World Cinema Documentary Competition. January 18, 2014. March 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180833/http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-2014-world-cinema-documentary-competition. live.
  5. Web site: Dogwoof acquires Web Junkie. 12 April 2014. 16 December 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131216215024/http://www.screendaily.com/news/dogwoof-acquires-web-junkie/5064333.article. live.
  6. Web site: Sundance '14: BBC 'Storyville' acquires "Web Junkie". 12 April 2014. 18 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140218061158/http://realscreen.com/2014/01/20/sundance-14-bbc-storyville-acquires-web-junkie/. live.
  7. Web site: Dogwoof sells Web Junkie to BBC. 12 April 2014. 11 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140611103649/http://www.screendaily.com/news/dogwoof-sells-web-junkie-to-bbc/5065566.article. live.
  8. Web site: Web Junkie (2013). Flixster. Rotten Tomatoes. 2014-04-22. 2014-03-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20140308073016/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/web_junkie/. live.
  9. Web site: Sundance Film Review: 'Web Junkie'. April 14, 2014. May 15, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140515005708/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-web-junkie-1201072282/. live.
  10. Web site: Web Junkie: Sundance Review. April 14, 2014. January 30, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140130074708/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/web-junkie-sundance-review-674137. live.
  11. Web site: Sundance Review: Heartbreaking 'Web Junkie' A Look At The Chinese Health Crisis Of Internet Addiction. April 14, 2014. February 24, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140224015826/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/sundance-review-heartbreaking-web-junkie-a-look-at-the-chinese-health-crisis-of-internet-addiction-20140119. live.
  12. Web site: Sundance Review: 'Web Junkie' explores Internet addiction in China. April 14, 2014. April 8, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140408011329/http://www.hitfix.com/the-fien-print/sundance-review-web-junkie-explores-internet-addiction-in-china. live.
  13. Web site: Sundance 2014: Web Junkie, review. April 14, 2014. January 27, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140127145544/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10596731/Sundance-2014-Web-Junkie-review.html. live.
  14. Web site: SUNDANCE REVIEWS: 'LAND HO!,' 'WEB JUNKIE,' 'KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER,' 'IMPERIAL DREAMS,' 'RUDDERLESS'. April 14, 2014. February 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140209043930/http://moviemezzanine.com/sundance-reviews-land-ho-web-junkie-kumiko-the-treasure-hunter-imperial-dreams-rudderless/. live.

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