Img_1252.mov -

Instead, it is the default, automated file name generated by Apple devices (like iPhones) when capturing a video. Because this title is a blank slate, we can use it as a powerful metaphor.

By pointing a lens and creating IMG_1252.MOV , we are desperately trying to freeze time. We pull a glowing screen between ourselves and the physical world, hoping that by digitizing the moment, we can keep it forever. Yet, in doing so, we often forget to simply be in the moment we are recording.

A child's very first steps, a tearful airport goodbye, or a concert of a favorite band.

It contains the shaky hands, the accidental background noise, and the unedited lighting of reality. It is a rare bastion of digital honesty. The Tragedy of the Forgotten File