IDFA 2019
In Event of Moon Disaster
Francesca Panetta, Halsey Burgund
United States
2019
6 min
World Premiere
In July 1969, much of the world celebrated the “giant leap for mankind” that the successful moon landing constituted. Fifty years later, nothing is quite so straightforward. In Event of Moon Disaster illustrates the possibilities of deepfake technologies by reimagining this seminal event.
What if the Apollo 11 mission had gone wrong and the astronauts had not been able to return home? A contingency speech for this possibility was prepared, but never delivered by President Nixon – until now. The immersive installation invites you into this alternative history and asks us all to consider how new technologies can bend, redirect and obfuscate the truth around us.
Credits
Key collaborator
Pakinam Amer,
JJ Otto,
Vanessa Vera,
Lewis D. Wheeler,
Betsy Willett
Pakinam Amer,
JJ Otto,
Vanessa Vera,
Lewis D. Wheeler,
Betsy Willett
Production
Professor D. Fox Harrell, Director of the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality
Professor D. Fox Harrell, Director of the MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality
Co-production
Jeff DelViscio,
Magnus Bjerg
Jeff DelViscio,
Magnus Bjerg
Editing
Francesca Panetta,
Jeff DelViscio
Francesca Panetta,
Jeff DelViscio
Technical artist
Respeecher: Voice Conversion Systems,
Canny AI Ltd: Video Dialogue Replacement
Respeecher: Voice Conversion Systems,
Canny AI Ltd: Video Dialogue Replacement