Eno – Hot Docs 2024
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April 25 to May 5, 2024
FILM FESTIVAL
Hot Docs
Hot Docs 2024
Generative AI is used to construct a documentary about electronic music artist Brian Eno in real-time with Eno. Brian Eno is best known as a founding member of Roxy Music, a creator of ambient music, and a producer of Talking Heads, U2, and Peter Gabriel. Director Gary Hustwit incorporates over 500 hours of new and archival material into a generative system named B.R.A.I.N. 1 to create an overview of Brian Eno’s career that is different each time it is played.
Eno Synopsis
Eno is a semi-experimental documentary about Brian Eno directed by Gary Hustwit. The film is generated in real-time by a console named B.R.A.I.N. 1 and the film periodically features loading screens as it chooses which clip to play. The footage ranges from newly shot interviews with Brian Eno to archival footage from his five-decade-long career. The version I watched included behind-the-scenes footage of Eno recording 1984’s “The Unforgettable Fire” with U2, as well as an intermission interstitial featuring David Byrne.
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As Brian Eno is already known for creating generative music and art, it is not surprising that he would agree to be part of a generative documentary about his career. I don’t pretend to fully know how the algorithms work to decide which scenes get precedent, but the final product ends up being a coherent documentary. As such, Eno can be viewed as an example of how AI can be used as a tool for filmmakers to create films that change every time.
