Silence Made Visible: Elisabeth Guthmann on Visualising the Unfilmable

What did AI enable you to do in your film that would have been impossible—or unimaginable—without it?

Elisabeth Guthmann: AI allowed me to make this film without the logistical weight of a traditional production — no need to raise a budget, build a team, or secure locations. That in itself made the project possible. More than that, AI gave me access to poetic and dreamlike visual scenes I could never have filmed otherwise: a woman walking a tightrope in a storm, underwater sequences, and a large-scale special effect where a flooded city suddenly drains itself. These images would have been technically or financially out of reach without AI.

Did your vision for the film change once you started working with AI tools?

Elisabeth Guthmann: Yes, absolutely. My vision evolved in response to the constraints and creative potential of the tools available at the time. Some shots had to be abandoned because AI simply refused to generate them, no matter what platform or workaround I tried. For instance, I envisioned rain rising from the ground back into the sky — a poetic reversal that proved impossible to create. On the flip side, some unexpected outputs led me to explore new directions I hadn't imagined. It was a real dialogue with the tools.

How did AI shape the emotional tone or atmosphere of your film? Was that an intentional choice or a surprise outcome?

Elisabeth Guthmann: A bit of both. I deliberately aimed for a poetic, emotionally resonant tone — and AI enhanced that in unpredictable ways. Its subtle strangeness — in facial expressions, movement, or weather — created an atmosphere of disconnection that mirrored the inner world of the characters. Rather than realism, I was after a stylized emotional truth, and the limitations of AI actually helped achieve that aesthetic.

Edge of Silence by Elisabeth Guthmann

Were there any limitations with current AI tools that you had to creatively work around?

Elisabeth Guthmann: Definitely. One major challenge was content moderation. It was very difficult to generate scenes that even subtly referenced domestic violence. I had to find creative solutions — suggesting rather than showing, using metaphor and implication instead of explicit imagery. Ultimately, that worked in the film’s favor. I didn’t want to shock, but to move. The goal was always to deliver a meaningful message — one that could be felt without overwhelming the viewer.

If you could re-do one part of your film with next-gen AI capabilities, what would you revisit—and why?

Elisabeth Guthmann: The dialogues, without hesitation. At the time, lip-syncing tools were limited and often distracting. Today’s advancements allow for far more natural, expressive, and emotionally coherent performances. I would love to revisit those scenes with greater nuance. I’m currently working on a new film where dialogue will play a much bigger role — and I’m excited to explore how these new tools can support deeper, more layered storytelling.

What does winning the MetaMorph AI Film Award mean to you, especially at this moment in the evolution of storytelling technology?

Elisabeth Guthmann: It truly means a lot. Not just for me as a filmmaker, but as someone deeply invested in the emotional and artistic potential of AI. Receiving this award from such a discerning jury, among so many powerful entries, is both an honor and a powerful encouragement. At a time when AI storytelling is still defining itself, this recognition sends a strong message: that even small, independent, and unconventional voices can reach an audience. That technology can serve emotion, poetry, and social awareness.