Former CNN correspondent Zain Verjee and Grammy-winning director Matthew Miguel Cullen teamed up to transform the narrative into climate changes impact in Africa with the groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) film, Ndoto.
This film aims to present the harsh realities of climate change in Africa, avoiding typical stereotypes. Over the past three years, the continent has suffered catastrophic events such as floods in Nigeria and Mali, the Sahara encroaching on the Sahel and a devastating drought in the Horn of Africa. These disasters not only resulted in significant loss of life and property, but also displaced 1.5 million people and resulted in the death of 13 million animals due to drought in the Horn of Africa alone.
Despite Africa contributing just 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a fraction of China’s output, Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change. Verjee, speaking to TechCabal, emphasized the urgency of this issue, calling it “the most important issue of our generation and an existential threat to humanity.”
The film, which was completed in just one week, presents a surprising but compelling depiction of the effects of climate change. It features images of children and African landscapes, depicting the serious implications of this global issue, avoiding clichΓ©d representations of Africa. “My aim was to portray it in a way that emphasized the fragility, the beauty and above all the human element at the core of the film,” Cullen explained.
The film was created using Runway ML, an artificial intelligence video creation tool, along with custom software developed by Mirada Studios. This studio was founded by Cullen and Guillermo del Toro, known for directing movies like “Pacific Rim” and “The Shape of Water.” Through these advanced AI technologies, thousands of images were created, with only a select few used in the final cut of ‘Ndoto’.
In a chat with TechCabal, Verjee explained the preference for AI in filmmaking. He emphasized that it offers an accessible platform for Africans to weave their creative narratives. βWe have the ability to create something truly amazing,β Verjee observed.
The use of artificial intelligence enabled the rapid and cost-effective creation of ‘Ndoto’. Verjee, who has explored more than twenty African countries, remarked, “Ndoto essentially serves as tangible proof that remarkable work can be achieved, overcoming many conventional filmmaking barriers, through the synergy of algorithmic precision and human creativity.”
Verjee explained to TechCabal the decision to use artificial intelligence in their project, emphasizing their goal to highlight the effects of climate change in Africa from a perspective that avoids a catastrophic narrative.
Previously, the duo collaborated on a film titled ‘Unstoppable Africa’, which was presented at the United Nations General Assembly. This previous project featured contributions from Grammy Award-winning artist Angelique Kidjo and Nigerian singer Mr Eazi.
Apart from these film projects, Verjee is developing Wanja, an AI chatbot. This chatbot is built with input from The Rundown, a modern media academy co-founded by Verjee. The technology behind Wanja is based on augmented generation retrieval, a method pioneered by researchers at Meta AI. Although Wanja is not yet publicly available, TechCabal’s tests show that the chatbot has extensive knowledge about Africa’s climate, sports and the creative sector.
Verjee describes Wanja as an attempt to reshape the African narrative. This is achieved by giving a large language model access to well-researched, authoritative and specially curated datasets, ensuring that the stories told are powerful, authentic and credible.