A film about Iran's protest movement has become the first fully AI-generated feature ever selected by a major international film festival. "Dreams of Violets," a 75-minute drama, will premiere at New York's Tribeca Festival next week. It was created by Iranian-British director Ash Koosha from his home in London, with no actors, no cameras, no sets and no film crew.
Made in three months for under 2,000 euros
Koosha produced the entire film using artificial intelligence tools over just three months. The total cost was less than 2,000 euros. He says the film could not have been made through conventional means. Living in exile and unable to safely film inside Iran, he turned to AI to recreate events linked to the country's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters. The film is based on journalistic reports, photographs and eyewitness accounts, and explores themes of memory, censorship and resistance.
A debate over AI and human storytelling
Tribeca's decision to embrace a fully AI-generated feature has reignited a fierce debate in the film world. Questions are being asked about whether artificial intelligence can tell deeply human stories, and whether AI democratises filmmaking or threatens the future of the industry. Koosha has spoken about the ethics of using AI to depict real suffering and political violence.
What local people cared about
For the Iranian diaspora and those following Iran's protest movement, the film represents a way to tell a story that could not be captured on location. The crackdown on anti-government protesters in Iran has been widely documented, but filmmakers inside the country face severe restrictions and danger. Koosha, working from London, used AI to reconstruct scenes based on real evidence. Local communities in exile have shown strong interest in how technology can preserve and share suppressed narratives.
The selection of "Dreams of Violets" at Tribeca marks a milestone for both AI-generated cinema and for stories emerging from Iran's protest movement. Whether the film is seen as a breakthrough or a threat, it has already changed what is possible in festival programming.
