"I understand life is bleak. You can either kill yourself or donate yourself to social commentary."
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Or so goes the wisdom of 17-year old blogging prodigy Bebe Zeva, now immortalized in a new documentary by husband and wife team Tao Lin and Megan Boyle.
"Bebe Zeva" premiered on March 20 at Soho House's "Legendary Children" event and highlights the work of the emerging filmmakers. For Lin, an author and NYU alumnus who garnered hipster cred with his book "Shoplifting From American Apparel," filmmaking is a relatively new venture. "Bebe Zeva" is the second film produced by MDMA films, Lin and Boyle's film company.
The piece, filmed entirely using Lin and Boyle's MacBook Pro, tails the up-and-coming blogger through one night in Las Vegas, her hometown. It analyzes Zeva's relationship with her family and friends and with social media. The film is at once absurd and heartfelt. At one point Lin covers Zeva with whip cream; later he gives her a cookie and asks her how many Twitter followers it would have.
"The simple, utilitarian storytelling set against the absurd, over-the-top backdrop of Vegas calls to mind the similar tone of Lin's books," reads a description of the film on MDMA's website. "Bebe Zeva provides an opportunity to see his literary aesthetic translated into the world of cinema."
All playful nonsense aside, the film speaks to Zeva's unique status as a blogging icon. The teen fashion commentator is the face of the I AM CARLES brand, has been crowned an Alternative Celebrity at hipsterrunnoff.com and enjoys a lively following on her numerous blogs. And all of this before her 18th birthday.
For Zeva, life outside the blogs never fit the mold either. Zeva lives with her mother and her sister, never having met her father, and she admits to not having many "real life" friends. In fact, she decided on home schooling after feeling out of place in high school. Maybe virtual life is easier than the real world in some ways. "I sometimes feel I am missing social acceptance, so I try to prove myself on the Internet by getting more Facebook friends and Twitter followers," she said.
But Lin was drawn to Zeva precisely because she defied the norm.
"Bebe is so unique," Lin said. "She is much smarter than her peers." In fact, Lin and Boyle are so taken with Zeva that they have already started filming a sequel documentary starring the young blogger.
Find Bebe Zeva at ftbh.blogspot.com, her most popular blog, or on Twitter (@BebeZeva), LookBook (lookbook.nu.bebezeva), Tumblr (bebezeva.tumblr.com) or FormSpring (bebezeva). "Bebe Zeva" is available from mdmafilms.com for $20.
