Data Shadows: An Exploration of Data's Materiality

On Thursday, January 16, 2025, we hosted the premiere screening of Data Shadows, an artistic film created by our Ethical Data Initiative. The event took place at Rio Filmpalast in Munich and featured a thought-provoking panel discussion with the film’s creators: Sabina Leonelli, Jacob von der Beugel, and Oliver Page.

Data Shadows is a 20-minute cinematic journey that reimagines data through the lens of natural elements—soils, stones, earth, and plants—highlighting its intersections, materializations, and movements. The absence of human presence underscores the film’s central question: Where does data come from, where does it go, what forms does it take and at what does it cost?

Data Shadows challenges conventional perceptions of data as virtual and immaterial. Instead, it unveils data's reliance on tangible resources, raising awareness about the environmental and ethical implications of data extraction, collection, sharing, and storage. The film unfolds in three distinct chapters—Extraction, Repository (depicting water and light), and Journeys—each capturing a different aspect of data's lifecycle.

Data Shadows implies in its very title a compelling metaphor: shadows. These symbolize the dependencies and absences surrounding data. As viewers, we are left pondering not only the presence of data but also its contexts, clusters, and gaps.

Behind the Vision

During the panel discussion, the filmmakers shared their creative process and deeper insights into the film’s themes:

Jacob von der Beugel spoke about the challenge of visually conveying the material journey of data, describing how the film builds layers of narratives to depict data's complexity and how data are always extracted and decontextualized when produced.

Sabina Leonelli emphasized the film’s aim to counter the misconception of data as immutable and purely virtual. She explained how the visual narrative highlights data’s fragility and its dependence on patterns and clusters, akin to natural ecosystems.

Oliver Page elaborated on the cinematographic choices, such as zooming in and out, to represent the abstraction and decontextualization inherent in data production and usage, as well as the decision to abstract the journeys of data.

The audience was captivated by the film's innovative approach to a complex topic. By combining artistry with critical inquiry, Data Shadows offered a fresh perspective on the hidden realities of data. The panel discussion further enriched the experience, providing nuanced interpretations and sparking engaging conversations.

As Data Shadows illuminates, data is never just an abstract entity; it is tangible, extractive, and interwoven with the material world. This groundbreaking project challenges us to reflect on the ethical and environmental dimensions of our data-driven lives. The event marked a meaningful step in fostering dialogue about data ethics and materiality, leaving the audience inspired and eager for future explorations. Thank you to the filmmakers Jacob von der Beugel and Oliver Page for traveling to Munich to share their thoughts into their artistic processes and to Sabina Leonelli for sharing her reflections on Data Shadows.

The film will be made openly accessible in 2026.

Further information and clips about the film are available on https://opensciencestudies.eu/datashadowsfilm/