AI-Generated 1976 Erotic Shorts Debut at Cannes, Streaming on Cultpix
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 19
AI-Generated 1976 Erotic Shorts Debut at Cannes, Streaming on Cultpix
3 articles · Updated · Variety · May 19
1976 erotic magazine photo spreads have been turned into AI-generated short films that debuted on the sidelines of Cannes and are now streaming on Cultpix.
Thomas Meier of Norway’s Multiformat used generative AI to convert the still images into motion video with color, synchronized sound, dialogue and voice-over; BluRay and a limited VHS release from Klubb Super 8 are due next.
Cultpix said the project is meant to test how audiences view material once deemed shocking, arguing the half-century-old images now look comparatively innocent.
Cannes provided a fitting backdrop as the festival also screened a restored print of Ken Russell’s 1971 film “The Devils,” long central to censorship and sexual-freedom debates.
The release also lands amid wider renewed interest in vintage erotica, with Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly and Sweden’s Cinemateket recently mounting retrospectives on the genre.
Is AI's revival of vintage erotica a cultural critique or simply high-tech exploitation?
When AI reanimates vintage erotic photos, who truly owns the final creation?
As AI mimics cinematography, can algorithms ever truly replicate human emotion on screen?