A Foal in the Autumn
AI Experimental Short Film (Duration: 8min)
2023-24
“A Foal in the Autumn” delves into the cultural identity of Mongolians through shamanic dreams. Utilizing 99% AI-generated visuals, the film portrays their psychological state in the face of cultural extinction and the societal phenomenon of revitalizing spiritual practices.
One of the film’s core symbols is the traditional Mongolian cradle. This cradle not only provides maternal-like security for infants but also symbolizes restraint. The small round mirror, a unique accessory for girl’s cradles in Mongolian culture, represents purity, wisdom, and ancestral memory, deeply connecting to the history of the Mongolian people. In the film, the mirror becomes a vital link between personal dreams and cultural identity. Additionally, the skylight at the top of the yurt, an essential symbol in shamanic culture, represents a pathway from earth to sky. It serves as the starting point of the dream journey and a symbol of returning to cultural and personal roots.
The horse is another key symbol in the film. On the Mongolian steppe, spring is the ideal season for foals to be born. Foals born in autumn, without care, face a high risk of freezing to death. Each autumn, owned foals are marked with a brand as a symbol of their ownership. But what about the horse I see—does it bear a brand? Where will it go? I do not know. This horse not only symbolizes the struggles and resilience of the Mongolian people but also reflects the protagonist’s own journey.
In times of despair, people often turn to spiritual guidance. In the film, a single poignant phrase from the shaman opens the protagonist’s heart, allowing her to voice her pain. Following the symbolic source of life—the amniotic fluid—she ascends the path to the sky and eventually returns to an untouched, barren place, an endless expanse of white. It feels like a return to a time before culture began, where everything has lost its meaning, and the blue ribbon from the cradle floats away in the wind. The imagined horse continues searching for grass on the steppe, tenaciously surviving. Perhaps one day, I will understand all the rules and truths, but I still find myself asking: What can I do? In the end, I may stand like the installation at the beginning of the film—silent and unmoving, an object to be gazed upon in the winter grassland.
“A Foal in the Autumn” is not just an experimental exploration of dreams and reality, of the personal and the collective. It is also a profound meditation on cultural preservation and identity. Supported by AI technology, the film uses symbolic imagery to create a unique visual language, capturing the Mongolian people’s confusion and perseverance amid historical shifts. It is not only a journey of the soul but also an enduring inquiry into the essence of culture and the value of self.
This project utilizes various AI software, including ChatGPT, Runway, Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, ComfyUI, Luma, Kling, Recraft, and Topaz Video AI, among others.