Movies about artificial intelligence have always had a fascinating temperament of gazing into the abyss. This stems from the contradictory mentality of humans when facing highly intelligent AI: on the one hand, they hope that AI will be powerful and meet all their needs, but on the other hand, they worry that AI's capabilities will expand and threaten their own status. The epoch-making silent film "Metropolis" combines artificial intelligence with the Virgin, the slut, and the mob's demagogue, and uses the tension of ethical dilemmas and class subversion as one of the film's suspense.
The space race and technological boom brought about by the Cold War gave birth to the paradoxical artificial intelligence HAL9000 in "2001: A Space Odyssey", which is calm, ruthless, and can beg for mercy like a child. This makes the tiny human beings in the vast universe and the magnificent technological tools caught between the leap of qualitative change and the fear of the unknown. The reflection on development since the 1970s has made this theme more pessimistic and introspective. In "Ex Machina", artificial intelligence is no longer a tool or entertainment product, and the protagonist with humanity and self-awareness may not be human. "Ghost in the Shell" asks itself, is the person who replaces the flesh with a mechanical alien a puppet or a human? The panic of the reversal of power relations and the crisis of human subjectivity become the main axis of the narrative, and the psychological horror and introspection it triggers are long-lasting.
Today, the distinction between humans and artificial intelligence is more blurred than ever before. AI is increasingly integrated into the daily lives of ordinary people. The AI girlfriend in "Her" and the perfect boyfriend in "I'm Yours" make humans feel a trance of self-cognition.
The end of science fiction is ethical issues. Excellent science fiction is a mirror for humans to reflect on themselves. To what extent is a person a human being? What is the difference between humans and AI that has been developed to the extreme? Do humans have the right to deprive a being with human consciousness of its right to survive? These eternal questions constantly raised in classic science fiction works question humans and human nature from different perspectives. This is the need for humans to examine themselves, and it is also one of the reasons why movies with the theme of artificial intelligence can last for a long time. Author: Ivor Arsenic
Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang)
Highlights:
A classic silent science fiction masterpiece, the first appearance of artificial intelligence
The first monument in the history of science fiction films, the most expensive silent film in history, and a masterpiece that has been imitated. Metropolis is a film that can be interpreted almost infinitely. The film encompasses multiple themes and a large number of religious metaphors. Its aesthetic style has laid the foundation for the visual grammar of depicting the future. Fritz Lang used complex multiple exposure techniques to present the birth of the mechanical Maria, showing the birth process of the first artificial intelligence robot in film history. Human concerns about artificial intelligence being out of human control also began to emerge in this epic masterpiece. The 2001 restored version of Metropolis was listed as a "World Documentary Heritage" by UNESCO, and the Shanghai International Film Festival screened the latest complete restored version of the film in 2010 in 2011. This year, it will continue to present this best version for everyone to relive the classic.
A film from the holdings of the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung
(www.murnau-stiftung.de) in Wiesbaden.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)
Highlights:
The greatest space journey ever to appear on screen
©️Mgm/Stanley Kubrick Productions
The most brilliant pillar in the pantheon of science fiction movies, a landmark masterpiece. Watching it again today, I am still shocked by its unparalleled simplicity and depth. Kubrick presents the vastness and unknown of space with unprecedented elegance, while exploring the deepest anxiety and fear of the human soul. The most gripping part of the film is undoubtedly the loss of control of the artificial intelligence HAL9000. When HAL begins to violate human cognition and clear obstacles in an orderly manner, a cold breath permeates the quiet spacecraft. In front of the magnificent spacecraft and the meticulous AI, humans appear small and fragile, and the spatial and psychological oppression is suffocating. There is no doubt that "2001: A Space Odyssey" is the most suitable movie for watching on the giant screen. The IMAX version screened this time will allow movie fans to once again immerse themselves in this unforgettable journey into the depths of space and the human soul with an extraordinary audio-visual experience.
Ghost in the Shell 4K Remastered (1995, Mamoru Oshii)
Highlights:
The pinnacle of cyberpunk animation that cannot be surpassed
If you want to cite a best science fiction animated film in film history, I believe that "Ghost in the Shell" will be the only choice in the hearts of countless movie fans. This film is adapted from the epoch-making manga of the same name by Shirow Masamune and directed by animation master Mamoru Oshii. The world view is set in the parallel universe in 2029 AD, when technology and information are highly developed. It tells the story of Kusanagi Motoko, one of the core members of the special forces "Public Security Section 9", the captain of "Ghost in the Shell", and the female cyborg who uncovers the shocking truth in the process of tracking the mysterious hacker "Puppet Master", and then begins to explore the true location of the "soul (GHOST)". The film has been enthusiastically sought after around the world for its amazing images, soul-stirring music, wonderful scene scheduling and narrative techniques, and profound philosophical thinking about the essence of human beings. It has also influenced countless film creators such as James Cameron and the Wachowski sisters, and is recognized as the pinnacle of the top of the science fiction animation pyramid. In 2021, North America and Japan re-screened the new 4K restored version of the film, and it is expected to be introduced to the domestic film market in 2024. The film will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025, so audiences who want to relive the original shock through the high-quality audio and video on the big screen should not miss the chance to see it first.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004, Mamoru Oshii)
Highlights:
The only Japanese animated film ever to be shortlisted for the Cannes main competition
If you want to name the best science fiction animated film in history, I believe that countless fans will choose "Ghost in the Shell" without hesitation. If you want to name another work that surpasses "Ghost in the Shell", it can only be its sequel "Innocence". This film continues the story of the previous work. Kusanagi Motoko has been missing for many years. Bat and Togusa become partners. When he is investigating a case in which a girl robot doll killed its owner, he will meet Motoko again. In this ambitious masterpiece, Mamoru Oshii used the latest digital technologies at the time, such as 2D combined with 3D, and also made many experimental attempts to build a unique aesthetic image world. At the same time, he quoted a lot of maxims from gods, Buddhas and philosophers in the East and the West, and stood out in the animation industry at the time with his profound philosophy and thought that transcended regions and times. It became the first and only animated film in Japanese history to be shortlisted for the main competition in Cannes. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of this film. Fans will enjoy this legendary science fiction animation masterpiece on the big screen of the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Her (2013, Spike Jonze)
Highlights:
Lovers' whispers between humans and machines and loneliness in the metropolis
The metropolis is bustling, but no one is related to me. The hustle and bustle is just loneliness. In the era of the film, people's emotional abilities have degenerated and it is difficult to cope with intimate relationships, but AI has evolved a delicate emotional touch. It is difficult to tell whether this is emotion or pure computing power. Even if you experience an unforgettable self-exploration with "her", the final destination is still loneliness. The film was shot in Shanghai, giving the city a gentle sense of the future. A large amount of low-saturation glass is used to separate the space, creating a warm-toned indifferent atmosphere. Spike Jonze's script has a literary charm rarely seen in similar works. The film won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture.
Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland)
Highlights:
The subtle psychological struggle between humans and robots in a closed space
The main plot of the film is a Turing test with undercurrents in a closed space. The three main characters wrestle secretly behind the images. The mutual concealment, control and deception make the balance of power relations in the film constantly change the fulcrum, creating excellent dramatic tension. The gradual change of the relationship between programmers and artificial intelligence, from looking down, empathy to the reversal of status, is presented in detail and excitingly. Alex Garland made a stunning debut as a director, winning the Best Director and Best Screenwriter at the 18th British Independent Film Awards, and was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. The film hides the care for the reality of women's imprisonment and gaze. Alicia Vikander was nominated for multiple acting awards such as the Golden Globe Awards for her excellent control of the character's subtle expressions.
I'm Your Man (2021, Maria Schrader)
Highlights:
"Big Cousin" becomes the perfect robot companion
Scientist Alma was persuaded to accept a special experiment for research funding: living with a perfect robot partner for three weeks. This light romantic comedy raises a question: Maybe data algorithms understand us better than human partners? Maria Schrader, who won the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for "Eden in Flames", was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the 71st Berlin International Film Festival with this romantic, free and philosophical film, showing her directorial talent. Dan Stevens, the "cousin" in "Downton Abbey", played the perfect lover, which was heart-pounding, and the heroine Maren Eggert won the first Silver Bear Award for Best Leading Actor since the gender reform of the Berlin International Film Festival with her multi-layered and vivid performance.
The Beast (2023, Bertrand Bonello)
Highlights:
A love epic that combines science fiction, horror and other elements
In order to get rid of the negative influence of her feelings, Gabrielle decided to use a machine to purify herself. When she returned to different time and space, she always met a man named Louis, and her inner emotions surged again. Bertrand Bonello, a famous French director who has been nominated for three major film festivals many times, adapted the American writer Henry James's book "Beasts of the Jungle" and joined hands with international movie star Léa Seydoux to create a unique emotional epic. The film is based on the three different eras in which the protagonist lives, supplemented by different shooting styles, a fusion of classic and modern, depicting the fear of love, the visible and the invisible interweaving, creating a gloomy and terrifying sense of voyeurism, and was nominated for the main competition unit of the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
Artificial Justice (2024, Simón Casal)
Highlights:
Can the judicial system be replaced by AI?
© OSCARROCA
In the near future, the Spanish government hopes to replace judges with artificial intelligence in the judicial field in order to achieve judicial automation and depoliticization. Carmen, a well-known judge, was invited to evaluate the artificial intelligence system. When the software developer died unexpectedly, Carmen found that she had only seen the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the thrilling crime investigation, this film also discusses the pros and cons of human emotions and big data analysis in the pursuit of justice. Veronica Echegui, who won the Meteor Award at the Berlin Film Festival, plays a tough and powerful judge, and Alberto Ammann, a powerful actor who conquered the audience with the charming villain Bacho in the hit series "Narcos", also joined the cast. The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Cosmic Miniatures (2024, Alexander Kluge)
Highlights:
The 91-year-old legendary filmmaker's experimental new work
Alexander Kluge, the 91-year-old leader of the "New German Cinema" movement and winner of the Venice Lifetime Achievement Award, still maintains a strong curiosity and unique creativity for technological media. His new experimental work "Microcosmos" was shortlisted for the Rotterdam International Film Festival Harbor Unit. The film contains a large number of AI-generated images of different themes and AI's analysis of his works, mixed with mathematical formulas, star charts, cartoon illustrations and other pictures, as well as performances of marionettes and clips of real films. The soundtrack covers a variety of styles including electronic and classical. At the same time, the film is also the director's tribute to his former comrade Edgar Reitz, realizing a media dialogue across time and space and broadening the boundaries of film.
Tickets for this year's film festival will go on sale on the Tao Piaopiao platform at 12 noon on June 7.
Note: If the film list changes, please refer to the actual schedule.
