DAFFODIL

OUT NOW ON NOWNESS - STREAM BELOW

Directed by Thiing Studios and written by ILĀ, Daffodil explores the future of artificial intelligence and looks at what it means to be human and how we define identity. At the time Daffodil was created, ILĀ (she/they) was known as Anil Sebastian. Combining animation by Thomas Rawle with slick live action footage and archival footage from ILĀ’s childhood, Daffodil is a surreal examination of the moral implications of artificial intelligence through ILĀ’s imagination. Set in the near future, Daffodil tells the story of a scientist (played by ILĀ themself) gone rogue and we see him attempting to bring back the conscious mind of a child in the form of an AI. In a parallel, otherworldly meta-verse this playful creature is being created through animation. Paired effortlessly with the film and archival footage, ILĀ’s exquisite avant-garde art pop soundtrack provides the perfect backdrop for this mesmerising cinematic experience. The film was shown at Normal? Festival of the Brain as well as at a private screening underground at The Brunel Shaft in London. 

Daffodil is a Descartesian meditation on existence and consciousness. As technology continues to infiltrate our public and private life, how can we reach an authentic form of being? Can an artificial intelligence gain consciousness and can it truly exist? Would you bring back someone you lost and if so, would they really be them? By combining science fiction elements with intimate, personal storytelling through encapsulating visuals and soundtrack, Daffodil is a film not to miss.