Film Constellation is launching international sales on “About a Hero,” directed by Piotr Winiewicz, an AI-driven murder mystery set to open the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Variety premieres the film’s teaser here.
The film is an adaptation of a script co-written by an AI trained on Werner Herzog’s body of work, with his permission. Winiewicz was inspired by a quote from Herzog himself stating: “A computer will not create a film as good as mine in 4,500 years.” The result is a fictional narrative that is ironically self-reflective, interlaced with a collection of interviews with artists, philosophers and scientists reflecting on the notion of originality, authenticity, immortality and soul in the age of AI.
When a local factory worker named Dorem Clery dies under mysterious circumstances, the film’s narrator, Werner Herzog, travels to Getunkirchenburg to investigate his perplexing death. But Herzog is not who he seems, and the film is not what we expect.
The film’s fictional narrative stars among others Vicky Krieps, the star of “Corsage” and “Phantom Thread.”
“About a Hero” is produced by Mads Damsbo of Denmark’s Makropol, Rikke Tambo of Denmark’s Tambo Film, and Sam Pressman from leading U.S. production company Pressman Film (upcoming Luca Guadagnino’s “American Psycho” project, “The Crow,” “Daliland”).
The film was commissioned by NDR in collaboration with ARTE and DR, and was developed by Kaspar and Makropol, with support from the Danish Film Institute and FilmFyn, in co-production with Cineteam and in association with Cat Flap Media and Yo Productions.
Winiewicz said: “This project was never meant as a challenge to what Herzog said, but rather an opportunity to provoke existential reflections regarding our inherent sense of superiority that ultimately lead to technophobia. Because, if at this stage we can’t really tell the difference between machine-made and man-made, are we then as complex as we think we are? Ultimately, I want ‘About a Hero’ to trigger a discussion on topics such as authorship, originality, risks of dis- and misinformation and what our role is in a world where we face the risk of being decentralized.”
“About a Hero”
Courtesy of MakropolTambo Film
Fabien Westerhoff of Film Constellation said: “Following our collaboration with Werner Herzog on the hybrid docu-drama ‘Family Romance LLC,’ we were immediately compelled by Piotr’s bold vision to engage in a dialogue with the master, questioning established ideas about the ethical implications of AI in art. This collaboration has led to a distinctive, thought-provoking, and visually stunning film that powerfully demonstrates technology’s role in expanding the horizons of artistic expression.”
Sam Pressman of Pressman Film said: “I’m proud of the work poured into this film by Piotr, our amazing producing partners and our cast and crew in Germany and Denmark. I very much look forward to the film’s premiere at IDFA next month.”
“About a Hero” joins a diverse slate of films at Film Constellation, alongside San Sebastián and Lumière feature documentary “Chaplin: Spirit of the Tramp” by Carmen Chaplin; upcoming CG animation “The Last Dinosaur” from animation studio Fantabulous, in production; and upcoming period adventure epic “The Captive” by Oscar-winner Alejandro Amenábar, in post-production.