1 of 5 | Director Ho Wi Ding's "Mothernet," which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, explores the impact of new AI technology on a grieving family in Indonesia. Photo courtesy of BASE Entertainment/Beacon Film
BUSAN, South Korea, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Mothernet, a new Indonesian feature by director Ho Wi Ding, explores grief in a world where AI can bring a loved one back to life with uncanny accuracy.
The film, which had its world premiere at the recently concluded Busan International Film Festival, is set a few years in the future, but much of the tech on display seems just around the corner -- if not already here. (So-called "griefbots" are widely available.)
In fact, according to Malaysia-born, Taiwan-based Ho (Terrorizers, Cities of Last Things), the film was originally conceived to be set in 2040. However, the production team adjusted the timeline to the near future, as reality quickly caught up to their sci-fi scenario.
"Suddenly, we are shooting and we're like: 'Is this the near future or is this now?'" Ho told UPI in an interview with the film's cast and crew in Busan. "We were thinking that we're doing science fiction, but now people are thinking we're just catching the trend of AI."
