That guiding question propels two intrepid electronic sleuths, Jazmin and Olivia, who dive into the cosmos as they hunt for the woman of Haitian descent who became the face of the 1980s-era popular educational software Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. Through dynamic “desktop cinema,” observational footage, and interviews with artists, writers, and software designers, the investigation lifts the veil on how Mavis’s persona came to be. While highlighting ethical questions regarding representation, the film slowly becomes a celebration of glitch art’s legacy as a means for underrepresented people to deconstruct and reclaim notions of Queerness and Racialization. A spellbinding cyberspace adventure, in the film Seeking Mavis Beacon, Jazmin Renée Jones’ inquisitive directorial debut expands ideas around feminism and digital selfdom, while also portraying the importance of tender, healing friendship in a complex world.
Opens in select cities 9/13.