Public Figure

A documentary that investigates the psychological effects of everyday social media use while exploring how our influencers deal with the fame, money, hate and obsession that comes with it. Public Figure is an exploration of our society's increasing obsession with social media. The insightful documentation of social media use and addiction invites the viewer to question if what we see online is reality or a complete delusion. As it closely examines the addictive tendencies caused by social media, the film follows the lives of our established Instagram influencers around the globe - beginning in New York all the way to Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and Johannesburg, South Africa. Throughout our travels, our influencers shows us how they've turned their lives into enterprises, while voicing their personal concerns about the addiction. At the same time, clinical psychologists and counselors inform us about the short-and long-term effects of social media and real-life interaction. While some have used their social media success to inspire, promote a cause, or market their business, Public Figure makes us reflect on our personal social media use, but also question how our society now perceives reality.