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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Us Now is a documentary by director Ivo Gormley and producer Hugh Hartford about mass collaboration, government, and the internet. It asks whether online networks can help people organize and participate in civic life, using examples from football, lending, and home-sharing.
The film explores a possibility; its examples do not prove that online participation automatically produces better or more representative decisions. Its production company, Banyak Films, describes it as “a document in time.”
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| 1 |
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Seven Men From Now [DVD] [1956] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Nurses: If Florence Could See Us Now | $22.86 | Buy on Amazon |
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| 5 |
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Rite Here Rite Now[4k] | $21.69 | Buy on Amazon |
What is Us Now about?
The film examines how online networks can enable people to organize and collaborate, then considers whether similar forms of participation might affect how government works. Its central question is whether self-organizing networks can contribute to new forms of civic participation.
To make that question concrete, Us Now looks at Ebbsfleet United, where fans participated in ownership and team decisions; Zopa, presented in the film as a lending network; and CouchSurfing, a network for sharing homes. These are examples from the film’s period, not evidence of the organizations’ present-day status or outcomes.
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What the film argues—and what it does not establish
Us Now highlights ideas such as open participation, self-selection, and transparency as possible ways to organize collective activity. It invites viewers to consider how those practices might relate to formal government and civic decision-making.
That is an argument to assess, not proof that online networks necessarily make decisions fairer, more inclusive, or more accountable. To evaluate any such model, ask who can participate, who sets the agenda and rules, how decisions are made public, how participation connects to formal institutions, and who is accountable when outcomes fail.
Release context and reception
Banyak Films says the film was released in 2008. Contemporaneous 2009 coverage and listings commonly frame it as a 2009 release, so both dates appear in the film’s historical record. Nieman Journalism Lab described it in May 2009 as an hour-long British documentary about online collaboration and distributed intelligence.
Nieman Journalism Lab also reported that the film was free to watch online at that time and that the filmmakers had uploaded raw interview footage, including material featuring Clay Shirky. That is historical distribution information, not confirmation that the film or footage is available under the same terms today.
Rank #3
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Where can I watch Us Now?
Banyak Films presents the film on its production site with a Watch link. Check the destination and its current terms before watching or arranging a screening; the available research does not establish current territorial streaming rights or commercial screening permissions.
Related reading
For additional context on online collaboration, Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations is relevant background reading. It is not established as an official companion to, or adaptation of, the film.
Rank #4
FAQ
Who directed Us Now?
Us Now was directed by Ivo Gormley and produced by Hugh Hartford, according to the Banyak Films production page.
Can online communities change government?
That is the question the documentary explores, not a result it proves. The film considers whether participation enabled by online networks could contribute to new forms of civic life; evaluating that possibility requires attention to access, rules, decision-making, institutional links, and accountability.
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Are Ebbsfleet United, Zopa, and CouchSurfing still as described in the film?
The film uses them as examples from its own period. The research here does not establish their current ownership, business models, membership, or outcomes, so do not treat the documentary’s descriptions as up-to-date profiles.
Is Us Now available to watch for free today?
Nieman Journalism Lab reported free online availability in May 2009. That historical report does not establish current access or rights. Check the current Watch destination on the Banyak Films site and its terms.
Quick Recap
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