We Live in Public is the story of Josh Harris, a man who foresaw the rise of the internet and social media with a clarity that was far ahead of its time. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ondi Timoner, this 2009 documentary film examines the life and work of Harris as he tests the boundaries of privacy, community, and the turbulent intersection of art and technology.

Josh Harris was once a name synonymous with the Silicon Valley dream. As a dotcom entrepreneur, he made a fortune in the 90s with his internet consulting firm Pseudo Programs and a neutrally monetized databank of individuals' internet activity. Harris' endeavors earned him a reputation as one of the pioneers of streaming television and as a visionary forecasting the direction the internet would take over the next two decades.

However, Harris may be best remembered for his controversial art and social experiments, which form the core narrative of the documentary. Most notably, his project "Quiet: We Live in Public," was a millennial-era echo of George Orwell’s 1984. In this experiment, Harris created an artificial society in an underground bunker in Manhattan, furnishing it with surveillance cameras to record every action of the 100 participating artists living there. Meanwhile, the dystopian lifestyle experiment ironically included fully stocked open bars, gourmet meals prepared by professional chefs, and a firing range, testing the limits of individual privacy and community cohesion.

Another project, launched after the dramatic conclusion of "Quiet," was Harris's own personal reality show: "We Live in Public." In this project, he and his then-girlfriend rigged cameras throughout their apartment to live-stream their life 24/7. The project was a continuation of Harris' exploration of privacy and the addiction of an ever-increasing connected society to share personal moments.

Besides these experiments, the documentary also looks at the softer, personal side of Josh Harris, offering a balanced portrait of this enigmatic individual. Interviews with Harris, his brother Tom, and his friend Carlos Alvarez reveal his backstory and motivations, helping to humanize him and explaining the inspirations behind his extraordinary experiments.

The film visually employs the use of real-life videos, interviews and footage from Harris's contrived projects, which offer a unique, deeply immersive experience. It plays like a surreal, dystopian glimpse into our future as predicted by Josh Harris - a future where privacy is a lost ideal, ordinary moments are turned into consumable content, and connection becomes a replacement for intimacy. Harris' prescient exploration of our lives played out in public resonates significantly in the age of social media, making 'We Live in Public', a timely, and somewhat eerie, forecast of the Facebook and Instagram era.

Director Ondi Timoner does an outstanding job of presenting this complex portrait of Harris, mixing ephemeral clips from the past with present-day commentary. She manages to capture the essence of who Josh Harris was – and is – and what his legacy means to the digital world. Timoner superbly documents the highs and lows of Harris's life and his profound impact on how we understand and interact with the internet.

Interesting, shocking, and at times uncomfortable, 'We Live in Public' is filled with moments that will make viewers question their relationship with social media and digital technology. Through the lens of Harris's eccentric career, it paints a larger picture of the digital revolution and its implications on privacy, human connection, and personal identity in an ever-connected world.

Despite being filmed over a decade ago, the documentary serves as a persistent reminder of the power of internet and the fascinating, sometimes frightening trajectory it is taking our society. 'We Live in Public' makes for a thought-provoking watch, offering a crucial exploration of the influence of technology on privacy and the human psyche in a world increasingly lived online. Through the story of a man who consistently pushed the boundaries, 'We Live in Public' leaves its viewers pondering about the world we inhabit and the future we are setting ourselves up for.

As such, 'We Live in Public' makes for engaging viewing – a must-watch for not only tech enthusiasts and social media users but also anyone interested in the sociology of the digital age.