AI and documentary film: innovation and ethical challenges

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Workshop 25.03.2025:

On March 25th, at 8 PM (OEZ), Anna Giralt Gris, a filmmaker, producer, and researcher, will lead an online workshop focused on the growing role of AI in documentary filmmaking.

No registration needed.

AI is increasingly changing the field of documentary filmmaking, influencing both creative approaches and ethical issues. From research and narrative development to visual design, AI-powered tools can be integrated at every stage of the process, fundamentally changing the way stories are discovered, structured and visually represented.

For example, AI-powered tools can help filmmakers analyze large amounts of data, recognize patterns in archival material or create transcriptions and translations, making the research phase much easier. In the field of storytelling development, machine learning models can suggest narrative structures based on historical patterns or viewer interactions. Visually, AI technologies such as deepfakes, generative image creation and automated editing software enable new ways to reconstruct, enhance and creatively edit footage.

But these innovations also raise pressing ethical questions. To what extent should AI-generated images be used in documentaries without misleading the audience? How does automation affect human authorship in non-fiction storytelling? And what risks does the use of AI pose when it comes to interpreting historical sources and marginalized narratives?

Using case studies from the field, this workshop examines both the potential and the challenges of AI in documentary film. Participants will gain insights into how new technologies are changing the communication of truth in the digital age - and how creative possibilities can be reconciled with ethical responsibility.

Whether you are a filmmaker, journalist, student or simply interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling, this workshop offers valuable insights into current developments around AI in documentary film.

Anna Giralt Grisis a filmmaker, producer, and researcher who co-founded the Interdisciplinary Centre for Creation and Research, known as Artefacto. This centre studies the intersections of technology, cinema, and politics. The workshop leader herself has directed and produced films selected for and awarded at various festivals, including CPH:DOX, Visions du Réel, HotDocs, SXSW, and IDFA, among others. Additionally, she coordinates the course "Cinema, Algorithms, and AI" at the UAB and is an associate professor at the UPF in Barcelona. She is also a former director of the +RAIN Film Festival, the first European film festival dedicated to AI-generated films.