Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows Mathieu Fournier 2022 | 1 h 20 min Ghyslain Raza, better known as the “Star Wars Kid,” breaks his silence to reflect on our hunger for content and the right to be forgotten in the digital age. https://www.nfb.ca/film/star-wars-kid-the-rise-of-the-digital-shadows/ Credits ------- based on the story of Ghyslain Raza participation Ghyslain Raza Andy Baio Jean-Michel Berthiaume Christian Bouchard Amanda Brennan Nina Duque Kate Eichhorn Katharina Niemeyer Kathleen Rouillard Jonathan Trudel François Vigeant Alys Angers Charlyn Bergeron Meagan Boisclair Olivier Gélinas Elie Grégoire Édouard Labbé Florence Lamothe Jayden Roy director Mathieu Fournier writer Mathieu Fournier Jonathan Trudel research Mathieu Fournier Jean-Michel Berthiaume Jonathan Trudel assistant to the director Maude-Émilie St-Pierre content consultant Ghyslain Raza director of photography Maxime Pilon-Lalande cameraman Alexandre Fréchette Marc Warden camera assistant Charles Hardy additional images La boîte ronde location sound Sylvain Vary Stéfane Kirouac editor Carmen Mélanie Pépin technical support Pierre Dupont Marie-Josée Gourde Patrick Trahan research - archives Karine Perron projections consultant Amelia Scott translation Trans & Sub Coop subtitling Trans & Sub Coop art director Marc-Antoine Jacques Mathieu Lalumière animation designer Mathieu Lalumière additional graphic design Mélanie Bouchard online editing Yannick Carrier colourization Yannick Carrier sound design Sylvain Bellemare Luc Raymond Stan Sakell re-recording Isabelle Lussier production coordinator Alexandre Bouchard Dominique Fecteau Noémie Rioux Chinda Phommarinh Alexandra Bourque post-production director Éline Sanschagrin editing assistant Mélanie Bénard Anne-Sophie Borduas Alex Trépanier technical manager Harold Lopez Garroz technical assistant Francis Robert finance director Caroline Côté production accountant Samantha Servant line producer Mélanie Lasnier senior production coordinator Joëlle Lapointe technical coordinator Daniel Claveau Mira Mailhot studio coordinator Gabrielle Dupont Stéphanie Lazure administrator Sia Koukoulas legal advisor Peter Kallianiotis marketing manager Karine Sévigny marketing coordinator Eric Bondo insurance broker Globalex legal services Lussier & Khouzam interim financing Banque Nationale du Canada Groupe cinéma et télévision Cultural, Social and Documentary programming director Virginie Langlois Sophie Bélanger producer Annie Bourdeau Pierre-Mathieu Fortin executive producer Nathalie Cloutier Raphaëlle Huysmans Philippe Lamarre https://waxy.org/2022/03/in-the-shadow-of-the-star-wars-kid/ In the Shadow of the Star Wars Kid Posted March 31, 2022 by Andy Baio Last August, I entered a loft in downtown Portland, walked through a door, and met someone I’ve wanted to talk to for the last 20 years: Ghyslain Raza, the unwilling subject of the “Star Wars Kid” meme, the biggest viral video of the pre-YouTube era. Since the video and its remixes exploded online in 2003, Ghyslain has refused all interview requests, except for the 10th anniversary of the video’s release in 2013 for an interview with a French-Canadian journalist for L’actualité magazine, which was translated into English for partner magazine Maclean’s. But over the last couple years, he’s quietly worked with a group of documentary filmmakers to tell his story for the first time, in his own words. The full-length film was released today in French and English, as you’d expect from Quebec-based filmmakers. In English, it’s being released as Star Wars Kid: The Rise of the Digital Shadows, but I’m partial to the French title, Dans l’ombre du Star Wars Kid, which translates to “In the Shadow of the Star Wars Kid.” It feels much more fitting to the story they told. It’s now available for streaming free from the National Film Board of Canada’s site, and I highly recommend watching it. I was lucky enough to get an advance screener and it’s a powerful film expertly told. Making the Documentary In February 2021, the documentary’s director, Mathieu Fournier, reached out to see if I’d speak to them about my role in the video’s initial spread and the fundraiser we held for him, my ultimately-futile attempt to shift the narrative to a positive light. I’ve declined every interview request about this subject since 2003, but was surprised to hear that Ghyslain himself was deeply involved in the production, so I immediately agreed to participate. The production team came to Portland for the filming, where I was interviewed for a couple hours by the filmmakers. Then, Ghyslain and I sat down for a long one-on-one conversation on camera about everything that happened 20 years ago, the impact it had on his life, and how he looks back on it now. I’ve never talked about it publicly, but I regret ever posting it. From the start, it was obvious it was never meant to be seen, and mirroring it on my site without consent was wrong in a way that I couldn’t see when I was in my 20s, one year into blogging. I removed the videos once it was clear how it was affecting him, but I never should have posted them in the first place. Meeting Ghyslain gave me the opportunity to tell him all of that in person, as well as in my interviews, some of which made it into the finished film. As a side note, it was fascinating to get answers to questions I’ve wondered about for 20 years. Yes, Ghyslain actually received the iPod we sent him from the fundraiser, and used the gift cards we sent him to buy an iMac G4, both of which he kept to this day. He managed to avoid most of the remixes and media coverage, except for Arrested Development, which he watched live as it aired. But more than anything, it was great to finally talk to him in person and see that he’s doing well. By all accounts, he handled everything that happened back then with a profound emotional maturity, despite how painful it was, and emerged on the other side with a uniquely interesting perspective that’s worth listening to. Afterwards After the documentary taping, we all met up for drinks on the roof deck at Revolution Hall, where we hold XOXO every year, and then went out for dinner and more drinks until late at night. This time, Ghyslain and I were able to talk privately off camera, about our lives and families, about the Commodore 64 and typography, finding natural common ground. When he was younger, he was really into computers, but for obvious reasons, Ghyslain spent much of his life offline after 2003. Like so many others, I saw my geeky teenage self when first watching the Star Wars Kid video, and sitting across from this 34-year-old man, I saw a parallel-world version of myself in my 30s. I first fell in love with the internet at age 15, the age Ghyslain was when he made the video. That night, I couldn’t help but wonder how his life would have changed if it never happened. I was surprised to see that in the final film, there’s a moment where Ghyslain talks about our meeting, and wonders exactly the same thing. I hope you take the time to watch it. Thanks to Ghyslain for his generosity and empathy, and thanks to the filmmakers for making this meeting possible: something I’ve quietly hoped would happen for 20 years. Me and Ghyslain, August 2021 https://waxy.org/2003/04/star_wars_kid/ Star Wars Kid Posted April 29, 2003 by Andy Baio If you’re going to videotape your Star Wars fighting skills on a school camera, remember to remove the cassette when you’re done. Watch this embarrassingly good video. It didn’t take long for the online community to remix it with full Star Wars special effects and lightsaber noises. I have no idea where this video originated from; if you know this kid, let me know. The kid has been identified… The full story here! Update: I’ve turned off new comments in this thread because of the mean-spirited tone, and deleted the most vicious comments. Yes, he’s fat and awkward. We get it. Since 90% of the traffic to these videos is coming from gaming, technology, and Star Wars news websites, I’m guessing that most of you weren’t any cooler in junior high school than this poor kid. All you geeks, nerds, and dorks out there need to think twice before trashing one of your own. https://waxy.org/2003/05/finding_the_sta/