The announcement of an artificial intelligence filmmaker creating a 135-minute cinematic adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey, titled Odysseus: The Fall, has sent ripples of surprise and consternation throughout the film industry. This ambitious project, inspired by a public domain work and coincidentally timed with discussions surrounding the future of large-scale analogue filmmaking, has ignited a fervent debate about the evolving landscape of cinematic creation. The filmmaker behind this endeavor, Iran-born, England-raised Millennial engineer Ash Koosha, has found himself at the center of a storm of questions, not only about the artistic merit of his AI-driven approach but also about its perceived challenge to established filmmaking traditions.
Koosha, who stated his intention to withhold the release of Odysseus: The Fall for several additional weeks, has faced immediate backlash. Critics question his motivations, particularly given the project’s modest budget—estimated to be in the thousands of dollars, with no human actors involved—and its thematic parallels to Christopher Nolan’s anticipated $250 million epic, also drawing inspiration from Homer’s classic. This juxtaposition has led many to perceive Koosha’s work as a provocative statement, potentially hastening the very "end-of-cinema" moment that some, like actor Matt Damon, have voiced concerns about.
The timing of Koosha’s announcement is particularly noteworthy. It arrived amidst a public exchange between Nolan and Damon, where Damon expressed a sense of finality regarding opportunities for large-scale analogue filmmaking, stating, "I knew that this was the last chance I was going to have to do something like this." Nolan, in turn, characterized Damon’s perspective as "defeatist." Koosha’s AI-generated Odyssey, utilizing a foundational text that Nolan’s film also explores, appears to some as an embodiment of the paradigm shift that threatens the traditional model of filmmaking.
Adding another layer to the controversy is Koosha’s prior work, Dreams of Violet. This AI-generated film, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, garnered significant sympathy. It explored the recent Iranian democracy protests, a subject imbued with humanitarian urgency and produced under circumstances where on-location shooting in Tehran was not safely feasible. The contrast between the perceived necessity and emotional resonance of Dreams of Violet and the seemingly more provocative nature of Odysseus: The Fall has fueled further scrutiny of Koosha’s artistic intent.
In an effort to clarify his vision and address the burgeoning controversy, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Ash Koosha, his brother and collaborator Pooya Koosha, and their producer Tom Rogers. Rogers, the founder of CNBC, has partnered with the Koosha brothers to establish Fountain 0, a film production banner focused on AI-driven cinema. Together, they articulate a perspective on the future of filmmaking that is both forward-thinking and, to many, undeniably disruptive.
A New Frontier in Cinematic Storytelling
Ash Koosha described the period following his announcement as "intense," marked by "a lot of excitement, and a lot of questions, and a lot of confusion." He was keen to disavow any intention of directly opposing Christopher Nolan, emphasizing the distinction between their approaches. "He’s doing what he’s doing in the old world of cinema. And he does it brilliantly. But there’s room for something in the new world," Koosha explained. His personal connection to The Odyssey dates back to his childhood, and his awareness of Nolan’s film arose from a Homer-focused online community. Koosha asserts that his goal is not to replicate Nolan’s work but to "use the tools to make my own version of the story."
The perceived difference in artistic imperative between Dreams of Violet and Odysseus: The Fall was a recurring theme. While Dreams of Violet was seen as a necessary response to geopolitical realities, Odysseus: The Fall appears to many as a more direct challenge to the established order. Koosha, however, views the two projects as intrinsically linked. "Dreams of Violet raised questions and this raises deeper questions—questions that are important for the industry," he stated. He posed rhetorical questions that encapsulate his vision: "Can we have stories at the speed of news?" "Can other people paint with tools besides people like Christopher Nolan?" "What can be created if they can?"
Koosha vehemently rejected the notion that Odysseus: The Fall is a mere "trading off of the existing hit, like all those knockoff direct-to-video movies." Instead, he positions it as an integral part of a broader cultural conversation. "Before these AI tools if I had a theory about Odysseus I could write a Substack about him. And some people would read it but how many? Now I can put my take into a film. I can paint my opinion with images and sound and light. And a lot more people can see it."
Tangential Filmmaking: A New Genre?
This concept of using film as a broader discourse vehicle led Koosha to coin the term "tangential filmmaking." He defines it as "other stories that can exist with the main one in cinemas." Producer Tom Rogers elaborated on this distinction, acknowledging the perceived superiority of Nolan’s approach to The Odyssey within the realm of physical filmmaking. "Christopher Nolan is the ultimate in physical filmmaking and what we’re trying to do is be the ultimate in AI filmmaking," Rogers stated. He added, "You can’t judge them on the same terms. They’re at 125 years and we’re in our infancy. So of course there are going to be bumps in the road. But it’s what you can achieve by trying. To me the risk is low and the reward is high: a whole new kind of cinema."
Rogers highlighted the liberating aspect of AI filmmaking, free from traditional budgetary constraints. "We’re just trying to show what’s possible when you don’t have to worry about budgets. We want people to see it’s not all slop."
A Personal Interpretation of Odysseus
When pressed on his specific take on Odysseus that his film aims to clarify, Ash Koosha revealed a deeply personal connection. "I don’t think he’s well-understood," he said. "I don’t want to say too much but I think as someone who came from Iran and moved to the West as a child I can understand something about his story, about what it means to be far from home. How it wasn’t just about ego motivating him." This perspective suggests an exploration of Odysseus’s journey through the lens of displacement and cultural assimilation, resonating with Koosha’s own life experiences.
A Deliberate Release Strategy
Regarding the release of Odysseus: The Fall, Pooya Koosha indicated a strategic delay. "We want to wait a while, at least until late summer. We don’t want people to feel overloaded and confused. That’s important to us." Rogers echoed this sentiment, emphasizing their desire for clarity. "We could have released it now but we’re not trying to trick people. We want them to be able to clearly compare." This cautious approach underscores their intention to foster a comparative understanding rather than a competitive one.
The Democratization of Cinema
The concept of tangential filmmaking draws parallels to the early days of the internet and the proliferation of blogging. Just as blogs offered an alternative to established media outlets, AI filmmaking, according to Koosha, promises a similar explosion of "bottom-up cinematic content." "Yes, exactly," Koosha affirmed. "There is room for all kinds of cinema and AI finally makes that possible. We’ve had so many years when making cinema was dependent on having enough money, and unless you’re Christopher Nolan you couldn’t make a movie of a certain scale, and even he couldn’t sometimes. The concentration of revenue became a barrier to entry. All of that is going to go away. That’s what we’re trying to bring about."
Pooya Koosha expressed hope for widespread adoption of these new tools. "We hope a lot of other people come in and do this. This is about something very broad and democratic." Rogers reinforced this vision for Fountain 0, stating, "That’s the whole goal of Fountain 0—to look for the best use of the tools."
The Future of Actors in an AI-Dominated Landscape
The potential absence of human actors in a significant portion of future AI-generated content raises questions about their role. Rogers offered a perspective that envisions a co-existent future. "I think this will make actors more valuable, whether it’s in an old-world movie or live theater. People will want to see them too, maybe even more than they do now." This suggests a bifurcation where traditional cinema, with its emphasis on human performance, continues to thrive, while AI-generated content carves out its own distinct space.
Ash Koosha concluded by reiterating this vision of harmonious coexistence. "That’s all we’re trying to do. To show you can make great films in the manner that Christopher Nolan does. But you can make gorgeous films using AI models too." This perspective posits that the advent of AI filmmaking does not necessarily signal the demise of traditional cinema but rather the expansion of the creative palette available to storytellers, opening up new avenues for artistic expression and cultural dialogue. The debate, therefore, is not about replacement, but about the profound evolution of what it means to make and experience a film in the 21st century.
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