“Women have a unique hyperawareness of their physical selves as objects,” explains Samantha Severin, the director exploring salacious voyeurism in this short film. “We’re constantly on display—sometimes we feel like prey.”

The New York-based filmmaker describes her directorial debut as the “surreal fever dream” of a webcam model who fears she is being watched offline as well as online. The blue glow of her digital display seemingly creates a sense of anonymous intimacy between herself and the clients she seduces. But over time, the line between being observed and devoured grows thinner. “Men consume her in both private and public spaces,” says Severin. “When she is safe behind a camera she has the control and enjoys being on display. Outside of that, the attention can be terrifying.”

Severin also uses the idea of the male gaze to question the ubiquity of personal content on digital platforms. She describes “camming” as “symbolic of a cultural moment where we provide windows into our private worlds.” Blue not only questions whether society has made “cam-girls” of us all, but also encourages us to wonder who is staring back.