The discourse around AI often takes on a quasi-biblical tenor. The media uses terms like AI “evangelists” and AI “apocalypse,” tech billionaires like Peter Thiel give lectures on the Antichrist, and true believers meet weekly to analyze sacred texts by so-called prophets like Eliezer Yudkowsky. The overall impression is not of a man-made technology, but of the unknowable and capricious God of the Book of Revelation. The plot of “The Anchoress”, in which a true believer entombs herself alive to devote herself to worship of this God (a historically attested practice in the Catholic church), is an attempt to make explicit this link between the religious and the technological. To me there’s something horrifying about the idea that a true believer might sacrifice their humanity to manifest something as inhuman as AI, but zealous submission to an uncaring and aloof higher power is nothing new.
This project will serve to challenge the prevailing narratives around the Artificial Intelligence industry and provoke discussion around how these narratives shape public perception and private sentiment. We plan to hold free-to-the-public screenings in order to raise awareness around the harms and ethics of Big Tech. Distribution plans include the aforementioned free screenings, a targeted festival run at large Horror/Sci-Fi focused fests (Fantastic Fest, Fantasia, FilmQuest, etc.) and festivals local to NYC. Post-festival run, we plan for a web release on YouTube.
Learn More: https://theanchoressfilm.com/