The Domestic Machine is a documentary film taking a glimpse into the world of open-source education and devoted camaraderie located in online craft and knitting communities. A niche craft technique with a cult following tells a larger story about the power of the internet to foster community and to connect otherwise disconnected people across the globe.​
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A small cult following has kept this specific knitting tradition alive with lo-fi YouTube tutorials that have generated renewed interest in machine knitting for gen-Zers and millennials. A free, accessible archive like YouTube has facilitated mainly rural, female baby boomers' creation of content that inspires social media influencers and posh fashion designers of a younger generation.
With many of the prolific YouTube knitters growing with age, now is the time to document their stories and share with the world the ways in which they have inspired community and craft in the internet era. “The Domestic Machine” juxtaposes the knitters of older generations with knitters of younger ones, many of whom are knitwear fashion designers and social media influencers. Throughout the film, we will meet people in both groups, in their homes and workspaces.
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The Domestic Machine is co-directed by Victoria Manganiello and Nicole Yi Messier