A New Wave of AI Cinema: A Decalog
The tidal wave of Artificial Intelligence is here. It is an inevitability. We are now in the flood, and we have a choice: either we build the Ark and sail on it, or we will all go under.
This is also a fantastic opportunity. We are at the dawn of an age where AI is acting as the Fifth Element, the catalyst creating a true fusion between photography, film, graphics, and sound.
To navigate this new world, I am proposing a plan to lead this transformation, placing the human artist firmly at the center. I am Marcin Latałło, a director and actor, and I am offering my work as the foundational proof of concept for the new, ethical, and artistically-driven workflow outlined in this Decalog.
Here are the ten foundational points of our movement:
1. Human-Led Cinema
We will create a movement where AI is a tool, not the creator. The artist's vision, the actor's soul, the director's intention, and the technician's craft will remain the undisputed, driving force. This is not a vision of replacement; it is one of augmentation, ensuring the human soul of our work is protected and amplified in this new age.
2. France's Legacy
This movement must begin with a sense of history. The first wave started in France, first with Daguerre and the birth of photography, and then with the Lumière brothers and the birth of cinema. It is a historical mandate that the nation that gave birth to our art must now help lead the world in defining its next evolution—ethically, artistically, and with profound respect for its origins.
3. The Heritage as Proof of Concept
This is my gift to this movement. I am offering my entire body of work—from my personal documentaries to my feature "A Sailor in Love"—as the foundational proof of concept. This heritage, along with the cinematic legacy of my father, Stanisław Latałło (the lead actor in Zanussi's Illumination), will be the testbed for this new workflow, proving our model is built on a deep respect for cinematic history.
4. A Global Association of Goodwill
We are forming a global coalition that extends beyond artists to include legal, ecological, and humanitarian experts. This association will protect our cultural heritage and safeguard our jobs. It will also champion ecological responsibility in our digital and physical production processes. We will actively appeal to global bodies like the United Nations, UNESCO, and UNICEF, particularly for the protection of childhood—a cause I hold personally, having been a child actor myself (appearing in Illumination).
5. Alliance of Masters
A new wave cannot exist without the wisdom of the old. We will actively unite the masters who defined our craft with new pioneers. Our alliance will extend from our base in France to Poland, to engage with the legacy of visual pioneers like Oscar-winner Zbigniew Rybczyński, and to the US, to appeal to the narrative and industrial wisdom of masters like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
6. Authenticity Watermark
To fight the coming flood of 'fakes' and protect the value of our work, we will establish a global standard of trust. This Authenticity Watermark will be a clear, technical guarantee distinguishing human-directed art from pure AI generation. My personal commitment to this is rooted in my own filmography—my documentaries, such as A Trace, are built on a foundation of authenticity. We will apply that same documentary-level standard of integrity to this new form of cinema.
7. The Global Toolkit
We will forge a hybrid pipeline that grounds digital innovation in physical excellence. We will partner with analog legends like Leica (Germany) and Nagra (Switzerland), integrating their precision with the power of AI platforms like Runway and Meta. Crucially, we will seek to partner with Google, whose deep, planet-spanning repository of human culture (Books, Photos, Maps) is essential for training AI on authentic, diverse data.
8. Strategic Alliances
This manifesto will be made real through partnership with the world's most vital cultural institutions. We will present the results of our workflow on world stages, taking our case directly to the world's greatest artists in collaboration with bodies like the Lumière Institute and the EnergaCAMERIMAGE Film Festival, demonstrating our deep respect for the craft.
9. Financial Alliance
This is a direct appeal to visionary financial partners and institutions. We are seeking allies to join this association to complete the "A Sailor in Love" proof of concept and finance this global initiative. We are specifically approaching partners like Bpifrance and the CNC to help us build this new French-led industrial and cultural standard, creating a sustainable model for the future.
10. Appeal to Associate
This is a direct and open appeal to the heart of our industry. We are calling on actors, technicians, producers, and distributors to associate with this movement. We cannot build this Ark alone. Join us to help define this New Wave of AI Cinema, protect our craft, and build a future where technology serves art, and not the other way around.
This Decalog serves as a first draft, a living document that will be expanded and refined as new partners join our association.
(This text is also available in French, Polish, German, and Russian.)
Written by Marcin Latałło
Edited by Gemini AI
Paris, 10.11.2025
Project Homepage:
www.latallo.com/decalog
