Gutenberg in the Cyberstorm

"We have the situation where the book has become something that's reading you instead of you reading the book," says Jaron Lanier, winner of the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. Digitalization has revolutionized the book industry and that has sparked concern and heated debates in both Germany and the United States. Over 2,000 writers in both countries have protested against the cut-throat pricing policies of online book retailer Amazon and its massive influence on the market. The e-book is well established on the US market. In Germany, however, the book is treasured as a time-tested means of preserving knowledge. What is the value of the book in the digital age? A film team sets out on a transatlantic journey to find out. They visit Germany, where Gutenberg invented the printing press over 550 years ago, and the United States, the hub of digital innovation. The journey begins in Seattle, where Amazon's headquarters are located, and continues on to Los Angeles, Mainz, Weimar, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and New York. Prestigious interview partners reflect on the future of the book: Internet philosopher Jaron Lanier, Dr. Michael Knoche, director of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library in Weimar, Jeff Jarvis, media expert, Yvonne Hofstetter, artificial intelligence expert and the authors Daniel Suarez und Marc Elsberg. A journey through the history of the book and the current debate over the power of giant online companies. The film also looks at the future and the risks that digitalization may yet hold in store.