“Be Brave,” a documentary about Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, is pushing artificial intelligence deeper into mainstream filmmaking by combining real interviews and archival material with AI-generated scenes that reconstruct moments never captured on camera.
Directed by Francesco Carrozzini, the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and uses generated imagery to recreate parts of Rosso’s childhood. The production says even some sequences that appear to show the older Rosso were created rather than conventionally filmed.
The approach lands in the middle of an industry-wide argument about AI’s role in creative work. Filmmakers and performers have raised concerns about jobs, consent and authenticity, while supporters argue that carefully regulated tools can expand what artists are able to depict.
Producer Lorenzo Mieli said the industry needs rules that prevent exploitation while still learning how the technology can function as an artistic tool. Rosso has argued that machines do not replace the central role of human creativity.
Source: Reuters coverage from the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
