The documentary called "Be Brave", about the life of Renzo Rosso, the founder of the Diesel fashion brand, met with the audience on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival held in Italy. The film was one of the first productions to experiment with the use of artificial intelligence in mainstream cinema.
Directed by Italian director Francesco Carrozzini, the documentary included real interviews and archive footage, as well as images created by artificial intelligence. It was stated that since some scenes prepared with artificial intelligence are extremely close to reality, viewers may have difficulty understanding that some of the images are not real.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEBATE AT THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
Discussions about the impact of artificial intelligence on creativity and employment in the entertainment industry were also on the agenda of the Venice Film Festival. Some directors and actors, including American actor George Clooney, drew attention to the risks posed by rapidly developing technology.
Lorenzo Mieli, the producer of the movie "Be Brave", also acknowledged concerns about artificial intelligence, but stated that the industry should be interested in this technology rather than rejecting it completely.
Mieli stated that artificial intelligence should be regulated, controlled, and prevented from being misused and eliminating some professions. However, he also said that technology should be understood very well. Mieli expressed hope that artificial intelligence will become just another artistic tool in the future.
HE TRANSFORMED DIESEL FROM A SMALL DENIM COMPANY TO A WORLD BRAND
Growing up in a rural area in northeastern Italy, Renzo Rosso transformed Diesel from a small jeans company into one of the most recognized brands in the fashion world.
Rosso became known in the business world for thinking outside the box and not shying away from taking risks.
Stating that he was not initially keen on making a movie about his life, Rosso said, "I had a pretty crazy life. I did incredible things. But I wasn't interested in making a movie about my life and telling everyone how great or how cool I was."
Describing himself as a technology enthusiast, Rosso stated that he was positive about the project when he learned that artificial intelligence would be used in the documentary.
Rosso said, "Wow. This is exactly me," and added, "I like to do things before everyone else." He also reminded that he was one of the first Italian entrepreneurs to use tools such as fax machines and electronic commerce.
CHILDHOOD REVISED WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
In the documentary, periods of Rosso's life for which there is no surviving footage were also recreated. These episodes also included scenes from Rosso's childhood.
Rosso stated that there was no footage of his childhood and said, "Seeing my younger self talking brought tears to my eyes."
Director Carrozzini said that artificial intelligence was used throughout the documentary. This, he noted, included scenes in which Rosso's older self appeared to be composed of real footage.
Carrozzini stated that not a single shot of Rosso himself was shot for the documentary.
On the other hand, it was stated that the interviews with fashion editor Anna Wintour and designer John Galliano, two of the important names of the fashion world, were real. These interviews were conducted in front of stylized or rearranged backgrounds.
"MACHINE CANNOT REPLACE CREATIVITY"
Rosso rejected the views that artificial intelligence will replace designers and artists in the future.
"Creativity cannot be replaced by machines. People continue to be the basis," said Rosso, emphasizing the importance of the human element.
"Be Brave" is being screened out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which ends on Saturday.
