"Be Brave": Tech Meets Tinsel on the Silver Screen

Our favourite Italian, New York-based director, Francesco Carrozzini, is packing his bags and taking off to the Venice Film Festival with his cutting-edge documentary, "Be Brave". This 85-minute film paints a vivid picture of Renzo Rosso, the inspiring mind behind the Diesel fashion brand, showcasing Carrozzini's brilliant use of AI in a way that encourages an emotional response. “Be Brave” brilliantly captures Rosso's rags-to-riches journey, catapulting him from a gritty underdog to a renowned fashion mogul. How so? Well, Carrozzini doesn't use a single frame of real-life footage of the fashion mogul. Instead, he uses Artificial Intelligence to bring Rosso back to life in the fascinating progression of his life stages.

When Carrozzini's creative project was announced in the festival, Venice's main man, Alberto Barbera, declared, "I want to put this film forward as an invitation for everyone to think about how AI as a tool can open up new creative possibilities for filmmakers.” "Be Brave" is one of the pioneering documentaries driven by AI to premiere in a high-end film festival.

Carrozzini, who has previously made a splash at Venice with his documentary, "Franca: Chaos and Creation," about his late mother and influential editor of Italian Vogue, followed up with his debut feature film "The Hanging Sun" in 2022. Taking around one-and-a-half years to make, the process of creating “Be Brave” was both challenging and exciting, given the constant evolution of AI, says Carrozzini.

“Be Brave” was brought to life by producers Lorenzo Mieli, Mario Gianani, and Gabriele Immirzi from Rome-based Our Films.

The brainchild for this film was initially put forward to Carrozzini by Lorenzo Mieli. Beyond creating something innovative, the film aimed to experiment with AI as a unique cinematic device. The film’s script incorporates the clever narrative ploy of a determined Carrozzini seeking Rosso, while Rosso tries to elude him. But the film is more than just an exploration of AI; its central belief is that the integrity of the human story must always come first.

Moreover, the technical and creative efforts in creating “Be Brave” were substantial. Carrozzini and his team relied on images of Renzo, manipulated his voice for different ages to make it as real as possible and tirelessly laboured to capture his behavior at different stages of his life. Blackstone was integral in this part of the process, while the AI artist Roberto Beragnoli significantly contributed towards the creation of content for the movie.

Despite sounding like a traditional documentary, the amount of work poured into it can easily rival a big-budget CGI feature film. Nevertheless, all the rigorous, trial-and-error process was worth it as the results were rather exhilarating, according to Carrozzini.

"The film tells a story of a man who lived, who is real, and whose adventures are all quite true", says Carrozzini. And while it's not about whether audience members can tell if AI was used, the crux lies in whether the movie stirs up emotions, laughter, empathy. "And so, if we are able to entertain you, make you laugh and empathize with this character, then that’s what counts", he adds. The film is intended to be more than a documentary - it is an invitation to reflect on the powerful potential of AI in storytelling and entertainment.