Filmmaker Creates Movie Entirely with AI

Ash Koosha, an engineer and filmmaker, has produced a full 75-minute feature film titled 'Dreams of Violets' using exclusively AI tools. This work premiered at the Tribeca Festival, offering a unique glimpse into the future of cinema. The process was arduous, with Koosha describing it as a Herculean task requiring immense effort and resulting in sleepless nights and headaches.

The film focuses on the Iranian regime's January 2026 crackdown on protesters, a subject that made traditional filmmaking in Iran impossible. Koosha utilized AI tools from Anthropic and Google to construct the narrative, a process he found surprisingly complex despite its technological nature. The resulting film, made for approximately $2000, explores modern Iran through a dream-like lens, reflecting the filmmaker's personal connection to the country he could not physically visit.

'Dreams of Violets' has sparked significant industry conversation and controversy regarding AI's role in filmmaking. Producer Tom Rogers emphasizes that this film simply wouldn't have been possible without AI, serving as an additive technology rather than a complete replacement for human creativity. While some express concerns about job displacement, the film is presented as an artist's effort to bear witness to injustice.

Despite some disjointed narrative elements, the film leverages its dream-like aesthetic to convey trauma and fragmented memories. Its creation process, from AI-generated score to minimizing traditional crew and actors, is unique. Koosha acknowledges the uncanny valley aesthetic of AI films but believes this technology allows for direct storytelling, circumventing the metaphorical constraints faced by filmmakers within repressive regimes. The film's premiere was met with curiosity and respect, with many attendees interested in the AI filmmaking process.