Sansriti: “Sanskriti” follows the day-to-day lives of four Millennials around the world: Matt from the USA, Liisi from Finland, Mark from Kenya, and Yiran from China, as each embark on their adult lives.
A senior at Michigan State University, Matt is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Digital and Technical Writing. Matt is a full supporter of the digital revolution. He’s a man focused on innovation and efficiency, and confesses that his instincts are always to seek improvement in any situation.
Liisi is a college student in Helsinki, pursuing studies in dance and child psychology. Plagued with mental and emotional problems through her adolescence, she’s struggled with suicidal thoughts, bipolar disorder, and depression for the past several years. Disconnected from the world around her, Liisi has built a life for herself online. She admits that it’s a 50-50 split between her online life and her “real” life, and that almost all of her friends are people who she’s met online, and interact with solely through social media and chatting.
Mark lives in Nairobi, and is finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Geospatial Engineering at the University of Nairobi. Technology in Kenya is a booming industry, with Nairobi quickly growing in terms of city infrastructure and economy. The complete integration of personal computers has not yet reached Kenya, as it is still a society dominated by cell phones and mobile Internet. Mark is a proponent of technology as a tool to improve or assist in one’s day-to-day life, but insists that the Kenyan attitude is not to just throw technology at any problem.
Yiran is a college senior in Shanghai, studying English. Her interaction with the Internet is modest, and she has a wary attitude about a full integration of digital technologies into one’s daily life. Yiran questions the use of social media and the motivation of Millennials to seek superficial connection over the Internet. To her, meaningful relationships with others can only develop when people are vulnerable, open, and sharing real experiences together offline.
Sanskriti places these four individuals in juxtaposition with each other as they present their perspectives on the role of technology, and topics such as the nature of the Internet, the use of social media, and human advancement. Their individual narratives act as portraits that, when placed side-by-side, present a glimpse of Millennial culture as well as a study of the role of digital technologies in the modern world.
Through these four young adults, Sanskriti aims to uncover the modern day human condition in the digital age. The film acts as a portrait of a generation, as well as an exploration of human nature, and begs viewers to have a greater sense of self-awareness in terms of their technology dependence.
Director: Melissa Balan
Country: USA
Category: Documentary
Runtime: 00:55:00
Trailer
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