Ava DuVernay has defended the use of artificial intelligence in her new documentary 14th, saying the technology was used to animate public-domain archival photographs rather than fabricate people or their words, according to hollywoodreporter.com.
DuVernay addressed criticism of the film while it screened at AFI Fest on October 25. 14th examines the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment and the political dispute over birthright citizenship.
The documentary uses AI to create parallax and animation effects from historical photographs, giving still images a sense of movement. The approach has drawn criticism online, with some viewers questioning the use of generative AI on archival images.
DuVernay told The Hollywood Reporter that AI is already present in many standard post-production tools, including those used for sound, editing and colour grading. She said filmmakers must now consider carefully how such technology is used across the production process.
“We didn’t use it to fabricate a person or make an avatar of a person or approximate someone’s voice that said something they didn’t say,” she said.
She added that the film animated photographs in the public domain and that, based on audience responses, the technique helped bring viewers closer to the historical period.
14th follows DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary 13th, which examined the US prison system and racial inequality through the 13th Amendment. DuVernay said she does not regard the new film as a direct sequel.
She said the project began after Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, said he would seek to end birthright citizenship. She said the administration later moved against it on his first day in office, prompting further investigation into the 14th Amendment.
14th will receive a limited theatrical release beginning November 27 and will stream on Netflix from December 4.
•Featured image: Ava DuVernay attends the premiere of ’14th’ during AFI Fest at TCL Chinese Theatre on October 25/Kevin Winter/Getty Images