Role models come in all shapes and sizes, and they always say more about the nature of influence than the person setting the example. So we want to sincerely thank Mavis Beacon, pioneer of the computer age, for inspiring a documentary so many years later (Jazmin Jones’ effervescent adventure, “Seeking Mavis Beacon”) that puts the impact of a technology icon in a sharp, funny and thought-provoking context.
The good thing is that Mavis Beacon is not a real person, but she absolutely… was one of countless black millennials who learned to type with a software game released in 1987 that featured the bright, smiling face of an elegantly dressed woman who looked just like them and seemed to be unconsciously selling empowerment.
Jones, making his feature film debut, slips between the creation of a late-1980s marketing concoction programmed by three white men and our 21st-century world of cybernetic unreality, becoming a driven and determined detective investigating a cultural icon. To do so, he must track down the beautiful Haitian model Renée L'Espérance, who, after being hired at a Los Angeles perfume counter, seemed to disappear after her face launched millions of users into a new world of interactive education.
With the help of a canny college co-worker and self-proclaimed “cyber doula” named Olivia Ross (also an associate producer on the film), the intrepid duo investigate Mavis’s mythological history with a charming mix of reverence, intellectual curiosity, and humor—like a two-man Scooby-Doo gang of the Internet age. Clues are followed, “missing” signs are posted, spirits are conjured, and cultural thinkers are interviewed about everything from women’s role in technological servitude (hello, Siri and Alexa) to concepts like critical fabulism, data curation, and cyberfeminism.
Director Jones, a vivacious onscreen presence, sees her project as a continuation of the trajectory blazed by pioneering black filmmaker Cheryl Dunye, whose landmark film “The Watermelon Woman,” we learn, is likely on loop in her Mavis-focused office. Dunye’s notable quote about researching the marginalized (“Sometimes you have to create your own story”) is Jones’ mantra for her archival mission. Early on, we see some playful fakeouts that show Mavis being recognized by the likes of Obama and Oprah.
When the documentary moves on to cold calling, house calls and shrewd Internet sleuthing, it turns out that there are real and tantalizing details to be uncovered. The women secure interviews with two of the software company's founders, but wisely do not accept their rosy, carefully curated version as absolute truth, and eventually discover that the relationships did not end so amicably between the men, who amassed millions, and the woman for whom they paid $500.
In return, Jones has a warmer conclusion in mind for the film: a devotional chat with L’Espérance — what Jones calls a “wellness check” — if, that is, they can find her. Or if she even wants to be found. Watching Jones and Ross navigate a complicated quest that straddles the pitfalls of citizen journalism, the energy of hero worship and the seriousness of ethical investigation is where “Seeking Mavis Beacon” ultimately finds its true heart, chronicling a journey that invariably runs up against the problem of whose perspective takes center stage.
There are some cringeworthy moments as the pair win at their detective work and lose as vulnerable fans. But like any self-respecting heartwarming quest, “Seeking Mavis Beacon” makes the low moments as meaningful as the good ones, and fosters a wild web world in which mystery and exposition can peacefully coexist.
'In Search of Mavis Beacon'
No rating
Duration: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Playing: Nuart Theatre, Landmark, West Los Angeles
