As an idle gamer who has a few favorites that she plays way past their socially accepted timeframe (I still own and play PS2 and Atari games), I had no idea there was such a thing as "indie" video games. However that all changed today, thanks to the first trailer for the documentary Indie Game: The Movie. The ambitious directorial debut of Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky follows a handful of indie game developers, including the creators of Braid and Super Meat Boy, on their tireless quests to craft and successfully release their unique visions of modern day gameplay upon the world—or at the very least the World Wide Web.
By focusing on the inspirations, aspirations, and heartbreaking obstacles that this emerging brand of artist must face, Indie Game: The Movie aims to reveal an undersung aspect of modern pop culture. "It's the sum total of every expressive medium of all time made interactive," gushes one developer about his passion for crafting new games. This is an insight a casual gamer like myself has never considered, which makes me eager to see Pajot and Swisky's Sundance-accepted doc. My favorite documentaries are those that, like King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters and Marwencol, draw notice to an unknown niche community or an expressive medium I'd not yet noticed, and Indie Game: The Movie, with its thoughtful cinematography and penetrative interviews looks like it could be both.
Check out the trailer below courtesy of Mashable.
Indie Game: The Movie will make its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20th at 3:00pm at the Yarrow Hotel Theater. Learn more about it on their website.
