Artificial intelligence is now a legitimate tool in the hands of current and emerging filmmakers. It can speed up production, reshoots without actors, and correct imperfect performances. In Dom Cutrupi’s sci-fi thriller Lola Dust, the question is posed: how far can AI go before it becomes a problem?
Nadia is a young actress experiencing the humiliating process of auditioning. Her last audition was for the role of a sex worker, but the director made it creepy and blurred many lines. Nadia’s luck changes as she’s offered a role in a short film by a hyper-paranoid production company, which requires her to sign several iron-clad NDAs.
In this film, Nadia plays Lola, the feisty, no-nonsense side of a drunk businessman. It’s a tight set. As Nadia snaps a behind-the-scenes photo, she’s quickly shut down —no pictures! At the end of the day, the producers think Nadia did a fantastic job, pay her, and send her on her way.
Nadia then celebrates with friends and her father, only to find out that she’s on the news…sort of. The Minister of Immigration is resigning from office as a video of him and his mistress goes public. The problem is that the video is from Nadia’s video shot, and her co-star’s face was replaced with the face of the Minister. The video disrupts the controversial immigration legislation that was attempted to pass.
To make matters worse, another video from the shoot is released featuring Nadia as Lola spewing on about how nasty the immigrants are, followed by a few choice, unkind, inflammatory words. Nadia’s viral alter ego, Lola Dust, becomes an overnight sensation in far-right media, spewing opinions that she does not share. The problem now is Nadia can’t say anything or go public because of the NDAs she signed.
“…Nadia’s viral alter ego, Lola Dust, becomes an overnight sensation in far-right media…”
Lola Dust is a fascinating indie thriller that takes AI and deepfakes to the next level. At the same time, it feels like we are on the brink of uncovering its more sinister potential any day now. Having her identity stolen, Nadia attempts to expose the ploy. But with every leaked photo or attempt to take down Lola Dust, Nadia is doxed and terrorized with more videos from now the ultra-right-wing Lola Dust. At one point, she receives a phone call from her “agent,” which was faked, leading her to a horrifying video of her father, designed to silence her once and for all.
This is to say that Lola Dust takes what we all fear about AI and brings it straight to the big screen. The production is impressively polished and serves as a reminder that Canada has a viable and competitive film industry that can carve out more market share from Hollywood.
Jade Pattenden carries the whole film as its star, working double duty as Nadia/Lola Dust. She starts as an eager actress desperate to catch a break, and a break she does catch. She ultimately becomes David to a very tech-savvy Goliath.
The problem with Lola Dust is the political issue that lies underneath its story. Lola Dust is about the potential future weaponization of AI but uses the incredibly divisive immigration issue to set sides between the good and evil characters. I’m not attempting to take a side in this review, but it leans hard into the issue and says pro-immigration characters are good, and the other side is bad. Politics is fine in movies, but you run the risk of alienating half your potential audience in doing so.
Either way, I can remove politics from many of the films I watch and see the overall point Lola Dust is making. Not everyone is like me, though.
Lola Dust is a tense dive into the ethical minefield of AI and its potential weaponization, all wrapped in a sleek Canadian indie film. Lola Dust’s gripping narrative and Jade Pattenden’s stellar dual-role performance anchor it as a thought-provoking thriller. It will broaden your perspective on AI and make you realize that it’s not simply a tool for filmmaking.
