Thinkers360

Data Privacy from a Filmmaker's Perspective

Sep



As a film buff, I enjoy movies through various lenses—be it storytelling, cinematography, or even marketing strategies behind film releases. This can be particularly useful when thinking about how to craft narratives for brands or engage audiences emotionally, much like filmmakers do.

One film I re-watched after first coming across it a few years ago was "The Cabin" (original title: La Cabina), a 1972 Spanish short film directed by Antonio Mercero. The story revolves around a man who becomes trapped inside a telephone booth in a busy public square. At first, passers-by attempt to help him, but their efforts are in vain, and soon the situation becomes a spectacle, attracting a crowd.

As the day progresses, the atmosphere shifts from humour to horror. The trapped man is eventually taken away, still enclosed in the booth, by a group of workers. The film concludes in a mysterious and unsettling manner, revealing a warehouse filled with other phone booths containing dead or missing individuals, amplifying the sense of dread and helplessness.

La Cabina is known for its surreal, Kafkaesque tone and exploration of themes like isolation, societal indifference, and existential anxiety.

In the context of customer data, La Cabina can serve as a metaphor for the modern relationship between consumers and platforms like Google, Facebook etc, which offer functionality in exchange for personal data.

The man trapped inside the cabin could be seen as a representation of consumer data—initially, the individual enters willingly, much like users who freely share their information to access services. However, as time passes, the person finds himself stuck, unable to escape or control his situation. Similarly, consumers often find their data locked into systems and platforms, losing agency over how it’s used or where it goes.

The initial attempts of passers-by to help can be seen as the public’s growing awareness of data privacy issues. However, just as in the film, these efforts often fall short due to the complexity of the system. Indeed, some of the spectators profit from the event - checkout the tall man behind the pastry boy. Eventually, the man is taken away in the booth, much like consumer data being transferred, sold, or processed beyond the individual's control or awareness. The eerie ending, with the warehouse full of other trapped booths, reflects the vast repositories of data collected by corporations, showing how widespread and inescapable the issue is.

This metaphor highlights the dangers of unchecked data collection and the feeling of helplessness consumers might experience when they realize the extent to which their personal information is used, often without clear consent or understanding. It underscores the importance of transparency, control, and protection when dealing with consumer data in today's digital age.

The film can be seen on my YouTube channel

This post was inspired by the Ethical Commerce Alliance

By gianfranco cuzziol

Keywords: CRM, Privacy, Customer Loyalty

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