Neon debuted the trailer for ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon‘ a documentary following the search for Renée L’Esperance, a Haitian model whose appearance was used for a 1987 typing computer program ‘Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing’. The documentary film follows Jazmin Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross (Associate Producer) on their investigation of the mysterious face behind the program.
‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It has since been screened at numerous film festivals including Hot Docs International Film Festival and San Francisco International Film Festival.
Release Date
Directed by Jazmin Jones, ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ opens at AFC Center New York on August 30, 2024. The film will expand to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago on September 6, 2024 and other select cities on September 13, 2024.
Synopsis
Seeking Mavis Beacon is a hybrid-documentary that blends myth and memory to uncover the truth behind an unsung hero in Black history: Mavis Beacon. Against the fluorescent industrial landscape of West Oakland, we follow “e-girl detectives” Jazmin (Director) and Olivia (Associate Producer) as they search for Renee L’esperance- the Haitian woman who modeled as the in-game typing instructor in 1987. The software sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, making Mavis Beacon a household name for millennials, however no one ever heard from Renee on the record, who was paid only $500 for her image.
Determined to preserve a piece of tech history and recenter Renee’s voice, Jazmin and Olivia use unconventional investigative methods while searching online and across the country. The quest drives the narrative in this neon noir, which integrates interviews and archival internet videos with the duo’s journey. As they come-of-age and come closer to uncovering the truth, Olivia and Jazmin are forced to figure out the limitations of their own morality
“Five years. Three laptops. Two cell phones. One question taken to the furthest possible conclusion.” says director Jazmin Jones on the documentary, “This film is not only an offering for Mavis Beacon and the women who lent their likeness to her character, but an expression of gratitude to all of the unseen bodies who make our technology possible”
Reviews
Murtada Elfadl in a Variety review praised the documentary and the investigation of the filmmakers, writing, “In pursuing a Don Quixote-like goal, they uncover surprising details along the way about subjects that obsess them. As investigators, they are tenacious and relentless; as filmmakers they are exciting and determined.”
Robert Daniels in a RogerEbert.com review wrote, “While there is an intriguing conversation to be had about how much we invest ourselves in symbols, idols, and mythology, to the point of forgetting to see these heroes as people, Jones struggles to shape that personal angst into a coherent arc. Instead, the film slips into navel gazing territory. Still, the first hour or so of Jones’ narrative is so freeing, thought provoking, bold, and vulnerable, you can’t help but cherish its early ambition as a necessary act of historical preservation.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’.