Since its inception in 1995 as a service for friends to find local events in the San Francisco Bay Area, craigslist has expanded to numerous cities in the US as well as 50 countries worldwide.
Many think of craigslist as a place to look for a job, find an apartment, or perhaps find a date, but in the age of social media craigslist is often referred to as the “town square” of the internet and has become a thriving subculture of its own.
With the emergence of web 2.0 and new social media sites popping up every week, filmmaker Joe Garner sets out to explore if this increasing number of social networking sites has actually led to more personal isolation, and in turn less sense of community among humankind.
In order to answer this question, Joe sets out on an adventure across America; his travels take him everywhere from San Francisco up to Portland and Seattle and over to Chicago and New York City, down to Florida, over to New Orleans, and back to San Francisco – but with a few provisions.
He is not allowed to bring any money, nor can he contact any relatives or friends during the 31 days he will be gone. He can only take his laptop and the clothes on his back. He cannot barter his services for money, but only in exchange for food, shelter, and transportation. Can Joe survive a whole month relying on the kindness of others in the age of the internet?
This film is currently streaming on Netflix.
Craigslist Joe [official film site]
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