Focus 2. Human, AI, Their Film & Their Future
Artificial intelligence has arrived in the documentary world, bringing with it a cascade of urgent questions. The 17th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival confronts this reality head-on with 'Human, AI, Their Film & Their Future', a special program that cuts through the hype to examine what AI means for documentary cinema.
Is artificial intelligence a passing trend or fundamental change? A new tool or a creative collaborator? Can AI-generated images ever be truthful, and is truth exclusively human territory? What ethical responsibilities do creators and audiences now face? This program explores these questions through a curated selection of films made with, alongside, or in response to artificial intelligence.
From established masters to boundary-crossing multimedia artists, the featured filmmakers demonstrate AI's diverse applications and implications. Their works reveal a rapidly shifting creative landscape where the traditional roles of author, subject, and image are being redefined.
The program extends beyond screenings to include in-depth discussions with filmmakers and experts, fostering critical dialogue about AI's artistic and ethical frontiers in documentary practice. Rather than celebrating technological novelty for its own sake, these conversations emphasize thoughtful reflection on what this collaboration might mean.
Our aim is not to provide easy answers but to equip every participant—creator and viewer alike—with the critical tools needed to navigate an evolving creative landscape where human and artificial intelligence will continue to intersect in unexpected ways.
