My Hot Docs got under way this afternoon at about 1pm as I settled in for my first screening at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, director Werner Herzog’s latest film, Lo and Behold. I was first struck, as I always am, by the amazing turnout this festival has. It should be no wonder of course, the festival is the premier documentary film festival in the world, and the audience was eager to see Herzog’s latest opus.

Preceded by the completely enchanting short doc, Dog about the Japanese robotic dog Aibo, Herzog’s latest serves as historical and futurist document, while commenting on the interconnectivity of the current world.

As the world becomes smaller and smaller with our ever growing digital revolution, the film takes us back to the creation of the internet, in October 1969, through to it’s present iteration, sharing the wonder and the horror of the modern internet, from games that helped solve scientific problems, to terrifying behavior provided by the anonymity of the modern web, Herzog examines it all in his unique style, with a sense of humor, and even wonder, as he and the subjects of the film pontificate on the future of not only the world wide web, but lso how we as a species are growing, changing and adapting with it, perhaps even losing our own connection with each other, even as the world becomes smaller.

From instantaneous communication to addiction, from indispensable to positing what would happen should we lose it, the film takes us through it all, and lets us wonder about the things we’ve done, the things we will do, and the fact that the internet and all it represents, good and bad, is here to stay, and may evolve before we do.

Sadly this was the final screening of the film, but keep your eyes on the web, because I think this one will be popping up on VOD and/or Netflix really soon.