“My Sextortion Diary” Director Patricia Franquesa Discusses Life Under Digital Ransom
In a world that’s increasingly online, our seemingly harmless data can quickly be turned against us. When Patricia Franquesa was blackmailed with intimate photos after her laptop was stolen, she faced an impossible choice: pay $2,400 in Bitcoin to an anonymous account or risk exposure to her family, friends, and colleagues. My Sextortion Diary is a firsthand account of life under digital ransom, told exclusively through the very technology that ensnared her.
I spoke to Pati on zoom, sandwiched in a busy schedule of touring for her film, which since premiering at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2024 has been doing the rounds at major documentary festivals across Europe including IDFA and FIPADOC - recently winning a Gaudi award for best documentary.
Pati decided to turn her experience into a documentary after facing constant frustrations with sexist law enforcement and a system unable to keep up with the rapidly evolving nature of cybercrime. Left to fend for herself, she searches for answers while documenting the paper trail of her journey. A purposefully invasive desktop format.
“I designed the film to be entirely hackable, inviting the audience into the raw intimacy of my messages—letting them spy on me just as the hacker did”
Whilst the unique visual approach, that taps into the growing ‘desktop movie’ genre, is undoubtedly contributing to a lot of the buzz, it’s far from a gimmick. Snippets from her camera roll, “overshares” with her friends and ex-partner, and search history data grant us full access to Pati’s life as she contends with what’s happening to her.
“It’s not like I wanted to make a first time thing, this was how I experienced it, through my devices, through my messages. Yes, it happened on the internet, but it was an attack.”
The effect is supported by Laia Casanovas on sound design- it’s calm, even funny at times until the hacker attacks and the tone shifts completely. The tranquility of scenes of Barcelona in summer bloom is suddenly interrupted by clashing bleeps and the alien-like voiceover of the hacker. The sheer shock never failed to make my hair stand on end.
“Recreating the 360 degrees of my life was important. I wanted the audience to feel safe and then really feel the violent, psychological impact of the hacker like I did. Its voice had to be genderless- the sound of the internet- but horrifying”
Citing gripping Netflix true crimes like ‘Don’t fuck with cats’ as well as comedies like ‘Fleabag’ as her main influences, it’s clear that for Pati, telling a good story was just as important as the troubling subject at its centre.
“I'm obsessed with narrative structure and wanted to craft a journey that could capture anyone. Seeing audiences in Spain and China—half a world apart—react to the same moments has been incredible. Humour, horror—these emotions are universal”
Sextortion is a growing phenomenon, and while anyone can be a victim, it poses a particular threat to young people, who spend more time online. Between 2022 and 2023, the FBI reported a 178% increase in cases, and today, a quarter of 13- to 24-year-olds have experienced it. Pati shared her story not to discourage people from exploring modern intimacy, but to advocate for stronger protection online.
“It’s not about individual actions, or taking away our freedoms, we are not doing anything wrong. My mum would always tell me how to call out in public if I was ever attacked, I hope this film will give people the voice to scream out for help if this happens to them”
My Sextortion Diary premiered at SXSW 2024 and has since screened at IDFA 2024 and FIPADOC 2025. The film is produced by Gadea Films and distributed by Taskovski Films.
