New documentary highlights power of blockchain in bypassing big film distributors

There are many angles from which to look at the new documentary on Ethereum, the world’s second-largest blockchain, and its founder Vitalik Buterin.

Firstly, there’s the documentary itself which takes a heartfelt look at the childlike qualities of Buterin, who is described as "the philosopher king of crypto" and "one of the most influential people in crypto" in his role as the founder of Ethereum.

“Many people are struck by Vitalik’s down-to-earth demeanor given the outsized role he’s played in the crypto revolution. He defied the ‘cryptobro’ and ‘egomaniac founder’ stereotypes we were used to seeing in mainstream media,” said the filmmakers from EthereumFilm.xyz.

Indeed, Buterin comes across as socially awkard, shy, and dare I say it, nerdy, in this documentary. But this is all overshadowed by his charisma, strong principles, and mission to fight for an open internet accessible to all.

The tech visionary has loyal fans and admirers and after watching this documentary I count myself as one of them.

From a precocious seven-year-old who invented an online Encyclopaedia of Bunnies to the dawn of Etheruem in 2013, Buterin saw past the money-making opportunities of the technology and focused instead on social impact and cutting out the middleman.

The so-called Prince of Crypto is seen in many guises - at home playing chess with his father, guiding his team on a massive Ethereum upgrade, meditating on stage, and visiting tech developers in Ukraine during the war.

After the 86-minute documentary you get a much better idea of how the blockchain was intended to give more control to individuals and away from giant corporations, big tech, banks, and governments.

But as Tim O’Reilly, a technologist who first termed the phrase Web 2.0, said, it’s often the case that the technology evolves quite differently to what the founder originally intended.

Movie moguls

The film will be available for streaming on our website until 11:59pm on Oct. 20th. Checkout our full distribution plan here: https://t.co/EwfCAmFdr9

— Ethereum Stories (@EthereumFilm) October 14, 2024

Then, we have the way the film was financed and distributed – on the blockchain and bypassing the big film distributors.

Back in July 2021, the film completed the largest crowdfund in documentary history via the platform mirror, raising the required production budget to make a fully independent film.

And the movie continued its crypto-native approach by releasing the completed film and trailer on the blockchain. “For too long, film distribution has long been controlled by a handful of powerful intermediaries, leaving creators little control over their work’s reach and monetization,” said producer Carrie Weprin.

Initially available to stream through a token-gated website at ethereumfilm.xyz, the documentary aims to hit major streaming platforms in 2025. The advent of blockchain technology and the rise of the Ethereum community presented an opportunity to disrupt these major media companies.

“This is a film for community members, the crypto-curious, and skeptics alike. We’ll be the first to admit, this film can't capture the full story of Ethereum—this is an ecosystem too diverse and vast for one film—but seeing the community through Vitalik’s eyes helps make this story accessible and human,” added the director, Zach Ingrasci.

The film was produced by Optimist and Strange Design, in association with Lone Palm Productions, Big Beach, and TIME Studios.

Optimist is a non-profit production studio that works to positively change minds, lives, and policies through its films and impact campaigns

“We began filming expecting to make a single documentary about Ethereum, but our journey led us to something bigger,” added the filmmakers. “This isn't just a documentary project; it's a bold experiment in community-powered storytelling.”