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Journals / Filmvisio / 2025 / Sayı: 6

Artificial Intelligence and Found Footage in Documentary Cinema: The Digital Transformation of Testimony in Welcome to Chechnya

Belgesel Sinemada Yapay Zekâ ve Buluntu Görüntü: Welcome to Chechnya Üzerinden Tanıklığın Dijital Dönüşümü

Okan Şeker(İstanbul Kültür Üniversitesi)0000-0002-9027-8764
Journal
Filmvisio
Pages
54–73
Publication Date
2025-12-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Ultimately, the convergence of found footage traditions with artificial intelligence reshapes the role of documentary cinema as both witness and mediator, requiring a critical reassessment of its esthetic, ethical, and political functions within contemporary media environments.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This article examines the evolving relationship between found footage practices and the integration of artificial intelligence technologies in contemporary documentary cinema.
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Key Findings & Data:Beginning with early archival reconfigurations such as The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927) and wartime propaganda recontextualizations such Why We Fight (1942–1945), this study highlights how found footage has historically negotiated issues of authenticity, memory, and ethics.
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Conclusion & Impact:Ultimately, the convergence of found footage traditions with artificial intelligence reshapes the role of documentary cinema as both witness and mediator, requiring a critical reassessment of its esthetic, ethical, and political functions within contemporary media environments.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:2020 Verileri
⚙️Variables:tanıklık · etik şeffaflık · belgesel sinema

Abstract

This article examines the evolving relationship between found footage practices and the integration of artificial intelligence technologies in contemporary documentary cinema. Beginning with early archival reconfigurations such as The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927) and wartime propaganda recontextualizations such Why We Fight (1942–1945), this study highlights how found footage has historically negotiated issues of authenticity, memory, and ethics. The analysis then turns to the digital age, where machine learning, deepfake technologies, and algorithmic image synthesis challenge the ontological foundations of documentary representation. Focusing on David France’s Welcome to Chechnya (2020), the article underscores how AI-based face replacement techniques create a hybrid form of testimony that seeks to balance personal security with the preservation of emotional and narrative integrity. This study situates this development within broader debates on epistemic trust, archival preservation, and the esthetic transformation of moving images in the age of automation. By comparing early reflexive and experimental uses of found footage with recent AI interventions, this study demonstrates how documentary cinema negotiates the tension between technological innovation and ethical responsibility. The article argues that emerging forms of algorithmic mediation not only expand the expressive possibilities of documentary storytelling but also demand new frameworks for evaluating authenticity, audience experience, and historical accountability. Ultimately, the convergence of found footage traditions with artificial intelligence reshapes the role of documentary cinema as both witness and mediator, requiring a critical reassessment of its esthetic, ethical, and political functions within contemporary media environments.

Özet

Bu makale, çağdaş belgesel sinemada buluntu görüntü pratikleri ile yapay zekâ teknolojilerinin entegrasyonu arasındaki evrilen ilişkiyi incelemektedir. The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty (1927) gibi erken dönem arşiv yeniden kurgulamaları ve Why We Fight (1942–1945) gibi savaş dönemi propaganda yeniden bağlamlandırmalarından hareketle, buluntu görüntünün tarih boyunca özgünlük, bellek ve etik konularını nasıl müzakere ettiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Analiz, makine öğrenimi, deepfake teknolojileri ve algoritmik görüntü sentezinin belgesel temsilinin ontolojik temellerini sorguladığı dijital çağa yönelir. David France’ın Welcome to Chechnya (2020) filmi merkezinde, yapay zekâ tabanlı yüz değiştirme tekniklerinin kişisel güvenlik ile duygusal ve anlatısal bütünlüğün korunması arasında hibrit bir tanıklık biçimi oluşturduğu vurgulanır. Çalışma, bu gelişmeyi epistemik güven, arşivsel koruma ve otomasyon çağında hareketli görüntülerin estetik dönüşümü etrafındaki daha geniş bağlamlara yerleştirmektedir. Erken dönem refleksif ve deneysel buluntu görüntü kullanımlarını yakın dönemdeki yapay zekâ müdahaleleriyle karşılaştırarak, belgesel sinemanın teknolojik yenilik ile etik sorumluluk arasında nasıl bir denge kurduğunu gösteren çalışma, ortaya çıkan algoritmik aracılığın yalnızca belgesel anlatının ifade imkânlarını genişletmediğini, aynı zamanda özgünlük, seyirci deneyimi ve tarihsel sorumluluğun değerlendirilmesi için yeni çerçeveler gerektirdiğini savunmaktadır. Sonuç olarak ise, buluntu görüntü geleneği ile yapay zekânın kesişimi, belgeselin hem tanık hem de aracı olarak rolünü yeniden şekillendirmektedir. Estetik, etik ve politik işlevlerinin çağdaş medya ortamlarında eleştirel olarak yeniden değerlendirilmesini gerekli kılmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Şeker, O. (2025). Artificial Intelligence and Found Footage in Documentary Cinema: The Digital Transformation of Testimony in Welcome to Chechnya. Filmvisio, Sayı: 6, 54–73. https://doi.org/10.26650/Filmvisio2025-0012

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