With the FCC poised to make changes that would effectively kill net neutrality in the United States, there is perhaps no better time for the forthcoming documentary, “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story Of Aaron Swartz.” And the first trailer for the acclaimed documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year is here.
While you might not know the name Aaron Swartz, you likely know all about Reddit. Well, that’s the site he co-founded. But that’s only a small part of his legacy. As director Brian Knappenberger sets out to chronicle, Swartz believed strongly in access to information… and that effectively led to his death. Arrested in 2011 by MIT police for allegedly downloading millions of academic journal articles, what followed was an overzealous and sensationalized prosecution against the young man, where he would’ve faced thirty-five years in prison. But before justice could be served or the case be brought to trial, Swartz committed suicide.
It’s a tragic, compelling story and one that will be worth tracking down when the doc arrives on VOD and in theatres on June 27th. Watch below.