> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.killscreen.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# How a mountain and an octocat help us find peace on the Internet
- URL: https://www.killscreen.com/how-mountain-and-octocat-help-us-find-peace-internet/
- Published: 2015-04-28T14:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2015-11-17T17:19:53.000Z
- Description: Mountain and Octocat tell the story of life on the Internet
- Author: Kill Screen Staff
- Tags: News, animation, anti-game, cats, David O'Reilly, Film, internet, Mountain, technology, Twofivesix, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-26 09:39

For a whole generation of people, the computer display constitutes its own locale, a second home. It’s where many people do their work, catch up on the news, and connect with friends and family. This is part of what makes *Unfriended*’s haunted Skype-call conceit [so convincing](http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/the-call-is-coming-from-inside-of-skype-the-tech-terror-of-unfriended/?ref=killscreen.com): teens are just as likely to encounter horror on the Internet as a [cabin in the woods](http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/do-you-like-prince-movies-podcast-unfriended-poptimism-and-more/?ref=killscreen.com). David OReilly’s *Mountain* seemed to recognize this as well.

“reading the bible word-for-word backwards.”

Half interactive simulation, half animated short, OReilly’s game took the idea of tablets, phones, and computers as places we inhabit and gave us a digital interpretation of a mountain to occasionally visit while we’re there. When Davis Cox [reviewed](http://killscreendaily.com/articles/god-mode-enabled-review-david-oreillys-mountain/?ref=killscreen.com) it for *Kill Screen*, he noted how the game, like a lot of OReilly’s work, focused on the “intersection between the quiet, meditative moments of life and the broader [technological world](http://vimeo.com/97740427?ref=killscreen.com) always encroaching on that serenity.” *Mountain* approached this divide by offering a place to rest and reflect between the bombardment of emails, notifications, and calendar reminders.

On May 11, OReilly’s creations will be [featured](http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film%5Fscreenings/23813?ref=killscreen.com) in an exhibit at MoMA, but later that week he’ll be sharing it with attendees at Kill Screen’s [Two5six conference](http://2015.two5six.com/?ref=killscreen.com). Ranging from short films and YouTube series to games and mascots, O’Reilly’s [work](http://www.davidoreilly.com/?ref=killscreen.com) captures the more absurdist dimensions of Internet culture in playful terms. *Octocat Adventures*, a [video series](http://www.davidoreilly.com/films/octocat-adventures/?ref=killscreen.com) drawn mostly in MS Paint, told the story of a red octopus-cat in search of its parents as created by the fictional Randy Peters. Narrated stream of conscious in the voice of a young child, the series’ “So Bad, It’s Good” quality puts a spotlight on the different ways stories resonate with audiences on the Internet.

When asked how he came to project, OReilly [responded](http://www.meg.ie/q-a-with-irish-animator-david-oreilly/?ref=killscreen.com), “I don’t really remember. I wanted to try experimenting with the YouTube audience and Microsoft Paint.” As for the story of Octocat, the Irish film-maker said it came to him from “reading the bible word-for-word backwards.”

You’ll be able to hear O’Reilly discuss his work at greater length at [Two5six](http://2015.two5six.com/?ref=killscreen.com). A three-day celebration of a life well-played, the conference will take place Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 at Villain (50 North 3rd Street) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You can buy tickets [here](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/two5six-festival-2015-registration-15804444519?ref=etckt).