This interview was edited for length and clarity.
After coming out as a trans woman, world-record-holding gamer Narcissa Wright lost her massive fanbase. To win them back, she attempts to set a new world record in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while live-streaming every minute of her mythic quest. BREAK THE GAME, directed by Jane M. Wagner, draws from an archive of over 3,000 hours of Twitch livestream footage intertwined with 8-bit animation to explore gamer culture and the mental health implications that can come with living a digital life.
Bridie O’Connell, a Salem Film Fest 2024 organizer, had the opportunity to chat with Wagner ahead of BREAK THE GAME’s North Shore premiere to learn more about the film.
Bridie O’Connell: How did you first connect with Narcissa and decide to create this film?
Jane M. Wagner: I came across Narcissa's story in a very internet rabbit-hole-type way. During the holiday season in 2015, I was playing my old N64 and couldn't beat a boss in Diddy Kong Racing. I searched it on YouTube and came across some people "speedrunning" the game, or playing it super fast using glitches. It blew my mind! I kept clicking "next video" until I came across some legendary speedruns of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and was struck by how popular Narcissa seemed with her community - here was a celebrity of this cool gaming subculture – I wanted to learn more. So I went to Narcissa's Twitch stream. It was about a month or so after she had transitioned and she was sharing her life online in a way that was very compelling and made me realize I wasn't just watching the future of where our media was headed, but also our relationships. I knew instantly that Narcissa's stream was worthy of a documentary, but didn't reach out until about a year later when I saw she wanted to make a comeback. I DMed Narcissa on the website formerly known as Twitter and flew out to Portland, Oregon to meet her.
BO: What was it like using footage from Twitch live streams in your filmmaking?
JMW: Using the footage from Twitch live streams took a long time to get right. My initial idea was to set the movie entirely in the world of Twitch, but when I spoke to some mentors and leaders in the industry, I was cautioned that watching someone play video games or be on the computer isn't cinematic. You may not realize it from watching the film, but I actually took 10 or 12 trips to Portland to film with Narcissa as the events unfolded, with the hopes of making the movie more cinematic with a capital C. It wasn't until we had a rough cut screening as part of Film Independent and the IDA's Docuclub program that it became clear that the scenes set in Twitch were the most authentic. Editor Stephanie Andreou and I were in the parking lot after the screening and both came to the conclusion that we could remove all of the verite footage up to a certain point in the movie. It may sound wild to put almost everything you shot on the cutting room floor, but it was surprisingly easy and made the movie so much more visceral, immersive, and in the end - Cinematic!
BO: Why do you think Narcissa's story is important, for gamers and non-gamers?
JMW: Narcissa's story opens up a conversation about where we are in our increasingly digital society — one where parasocial relationships are common and many of our most vulnerable interactions are held online. It reveals the need for more mental health resources made specifically for gamers and those who spend time online. It shows the reality of those who are confronted with online harassment. For non-gamers, it's an entry point into the world and a way to better understand the gamers in their lives.
BO: How long did this film take to create?
JMW: BREAK THE GAME took six years from start to finish. Narcissa archived more than 3,000 hours of her Twitch streams, so simply watching down the footage took about a year. We were also creating a new cinematic language using the chat and digital interfaces and had a very elaborate animation process, so it took a considerable amount of time to complete!
BO: What was the most challenging part of working on this film?
JMW: The hardest part of working on this film was financing it. I ended up having to put the film on hold from time to time, and I had to put a lot of costs on my credit card in order to finish. Sadly, my situation isn't unique — we're at a point where for many of us, being a documentarian is a calling, not a viable career. Hopefully, this will change, enabling more people from diverse backgrounds to make groundbreaking work.
BO: What else can you tell us about the film?
JMW: For info on BREAK THE GAME theatrical and community screenings please see www.breakthegamemovie.com — I'm also in development on my second feature documentary that also explores technology's effects on our emotional lives.
BREAK THE GAME screens in-person during Salem Film Fest at Cinema Salem on Friday, March 22 at 9:15pm. Tickets available here.
