AI-powered documentary tests cinema's boundaries in Venice

A documentary about the rise of Diesel fashion brand founder Renzo Rosso premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, marking one of the first instances of AI-assisted technology being used in mainstream cinema. Directed by Francesco Carrozzini, "Be Brave" blends genuine interviews, archive footage with AI-generated video so realistic that viewers might find it challenging to distinguish between real and synthetic sequences.

Concerns surrounding AI's influence on creativity and jobs in the entertainment industry have been prominent at Venice, with several filmmakers and actors, such as George Clooney, expressing apprehension over the technology's rapid development. Despite this, Lorenzo Mieli, the film's producer, believes the industry should engage with AI rather than reject it.

"We need to regulate it, control it, prevent exploitation and prevent the disappearance of professions," Mieli stated. Rosso, who started from humble beginnings in rural northeastern Italy and transformed Diesel from a small denim company into a globally recognized brand, was not interested in making a film about his life. However, he embraced the concept when he discovered it would utilize AI, stating, "I thought, wow.

This is me." The film recreates periods of Rosso's life for which no footage exists, including his childhood, which he found particularly poignant. Carrozzini revealed that AI was employed throughout the documentary, creating scenes where the older Rosso appeared in flesh and bone, while interviews with figures like fashion editor Anna Wintour and designer John Galliano were actual filmed conversations set against manipulated backdrops.

Rosso dismissed the notion that AI would eventually replace designers and artists, emphasizing that human creativity remains irreplaceable. The documentary, which premiered out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, concludes on Saturday.