Venice Fest: AI Reimagines Diesel Founder's Life

Francesco Carrozzini, an Italian director based in New York, will present his latest film, "Be Brave," at the Venice Film Festival. This 85-minute documentary focuses on Renzo Rosso, the founder of the Diesel fashion brand. Uniquely, the film extensively utilizes artificial intelligence to recreate Rosso at different points in his life, foregoing any direct filming of the entrepreneur.

The documentary portrays Rosso as a visionary who overcame poverty to build a fashion empire. Director Carrozzini explained that the AI approach was initially born out of necessity due to a lack of intimate archival footage. This method evolved into a core theme, exploring AI's role in narrative and entertainment.

Carrozzini acknowledged the challenging workflow, describing the process as trial and error with AI. Recreating Rosso involved meticulous attention to his physical appearance, voice, and behavior across different ages. The director also noted that directing AI-generated versions of himself was a particularly daunting aspect of production.

"Be Brave" is among the first feature films employing AI to be launched at a major film festival. Venice chief Alberto Barbera highlighted the film as an invitation to consider AI's new creative avenues for filmmakers. Carrozzini, however, stressed that the human element must remain central, stating that AI should serve storytelling and emotion, not replace it entirely.