Though we were headed there prior to the pandemic, it seems like everything in our lives has become digital — or at least has the option to be online — since March 2020. Where actual face time was a necessity of life, COVID-19 has enabled us to hide behind our computers. Director Timur Bekmambetov's film Profile is a reflection of an all-digital life; the good, the bad, and the terrifying. 

Profile, which was shot entirely on screens — much like Bekmambetov's other films Searching, Unfriended and R#J — follows reporter Amy Whittaker, who is researching a story about ISIS recruitment. Befriending Bilel, a Syrian fighter (after diving headfirst into creating a fake Facebook profile and liking a few jihadist videos), the lines between recruitment and love become questionable and Amy finds herself increasingly connected to the man, whose power over her grows stronger with each online interaction.

"I don't think we are all afraid of terrorists, this film is just the reality of life. This is our fear; to lose data, to lose our identity, to lose our security. [Profile] is all about our fears in a digital world," Bekmambetov said. 

"Every day we have this feeling; sometimes it's tragic, sometimes it's comedic. How many times have you forgotten a password? How many times have you felt you're missing data ... you know there's something in a folder and you can't find it? Or, you get a 'happy birthday' message from a friend who died a year ago because he set up automated birthday wishes. This film is made of our fears that we all share in a digital world."

The emotional throughline of Profile is an almost electronic-induced anxiety. 

"Many times you read something about yourself online that's just completely fake, and you don't know how to stop it. People are reading it, it doesn't matter what you do. You just can't control it. It's very simple, but very scary moments that we experience every day on the Internet," Bekmambetov said.

As Amy's character slowly falls into the web of Bilel, the film shifts and poses a what-would-you-do question. The viewer reflects on the choices that Amy has made, and judgements are likely to be cast. But, it's easy to judge on the other side of the screen.

Profile is based on the book In the Skin of a Jihadist by French investigative journalist Anna Erelle.

Bekmambetov says, "We were trying to be as close as possible to the source, to the original book, to Anna's story. Most importantly, before we started production we had a chance to see the real screen grabs of her experience. The whole thing became very scary because it's all real; her experience is one that can be and has been replicated many times over."

Being "invisible" as a director benefitted the film, he added.

"It needed to feel unedited, real-time. So we made deliberate choices; like, we didn't use a score and instead used Spotify playlists, which were actually the real playlists that were involved in Anna's story. Everything was as close to the truth as possible, which makes this film grounded and surprisingly real."

On writing versus directing, Bekmambetov says, "The writing, for me, is important. I had a great cast and we were friends; it wasn't like I was 'directing' them. A lot of ideas came from them. I had a great team helping me tell the story, and there was a lot of trust. But you need the written words to be your anchor and then the collaboration starts there."

Profile, he added, was shot all online.

"[It was shot] in the place where we live today. We shot simultaneously in three places around the world sometimes. We captured the real interacting between characters."

Bekmambetov is no stranger to writing and directing films that share the screens of their characters, and he has a methodology for the process.

"I enjoy the sense of exploration when shooting these kinds of films," he said.

"Nobody has taught us how to do this; it's such a unique feeling when you're inventing things."

Profile is currently in theaters.