The 22nd Marrakech International Film Festival screened some of the award season’s buzziest films and hosted a diverse slate of international stars.
Among the attendees were jury president Bong Joon-ho and Jodie Foster, who was given an achievement award. Anya Taylor-Joy, Jenna Ortega, Celine Song and others joined the jury, which gave a press conference on many of the issues du jour. Top of mind was the AI’s place in film, art and humanity writ large.
“Fuck AI,” pointedly said Song, who directed this year’s “Materialists.” She continued,”It’s trying to encroach on what makes our lives very, very beautiful and very, very hard. And what makes living worth doing.” She described the technology as “colonizing our minds.”
Ortega seconded Song. “There is a weird charm in the human condition. And us as humans have a tendency – if you look back at our history – we always take things too far. And it’s very easy to be terrified. I know I am. In these times of deep uncertainty, it kind of feels like we’ve opened a Pandora’s box in a way,” she said.
Bong chimed in, “My official answer is AI is good because it’s the very beginning of the human race finally seriously thinking about what only humans can do. But my personal answer is: I’m going to organize a military squad. Their mission is to destroy AI servers all around the world.”
Taylor-Joy also commented on art and the state of the world. When asked about her and Ortega’s penchant for playing quieter roles she said, “I think we live in a world where there’s a lot of premium placed on how long we can be. If you can outscream somebody else. What your argument is. You’re taught to have an opinion more than you’re taught to have critical thinking. And so I believe that in silence, even if it’s uncomfortable at the beginning, it just teaches you to be a much better listener. And I think in general not only in art but where we’re at in the world currently, I think we’d all be a lot better off if we listened more than we yelled on top of each other.”
After the press conference adjourned the journey began viewing the films in competition together. By the end of the nearly two weeks they voted on a winner: “Promised Sky,” which tells the story of four generations of Ivorian immigrant women.
