Welcome to the Enclave
Introduced as a virtual community for like-minded women, The Enclave exists as a haven enabling an escape from the mundane of reality. At once a safe neighborhood, now under siege from Reddit trolls, digital hackers, and the like, a question of morality persists through this digital story: at what price or cost is freedom? As events increase in the profane and grotesque—such as images of masturbation being projected on the walls; an unfortunate consequence of allowing subscribers to use digital currency to manipulate the environment—one cannot help but think in terms of privilege. The clever use of Carly Simon’s lyrics “willing to the play the game” playing over a sequence of the neighborhood being modified evokes a particular human element: the need for change, desired or not. A curious tale including themes of power, loyalty, and monetary value, The Enclave re-creates a “subjective” American Society. At the close of this emotionally charged and thought-provoking short, a long sequence in which the camera revolves around the entire community enables one to breathe and digest the horrors that have unfolded. These horrors reflect and mock the concept of identity, of oneself, whether as a digital citizen or of flesh and bone.
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