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The Oracle: Ritual for the Future (for humans and non-humans)
DocLab
The Oracle: Ritual for the Future (for humans and non-humans)
Victorine van Alphen
Netherlands
2025
60 min
IDFA DocLab Program & Competition, IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction
Type project
Immersive, Installation, Performance, Digital
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Description

What if AI could deeply influence our desire for meaning and humanity? Entirely surrounded by large screens, participants in the group experience The Oracle: Ritual for the Future (For humans and non-humans) gradually surrender to a fusion of human, robot and images. A guide (half human, half robot) leads an audiovisual choreography in which the group gradually relinquishes control to non-human entities; soon after, they are instructed to move to a “human safe zone.”

The immersive experience redefines the physical, with robots and AI-generated images reshaping ideas of sensuality, freedom of choice, and desires. This oracle does not offer a window to the future; The Oracle rather creates an entirely new framework, in which non-humans stir emotions and guide the flesh-and-blood participants in their own humanity. All the while, a distant future takes shape, and we come face to face with our future.

Recipient of the Film Fund DocLab Interactive Grant 2025

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Credits
Director
    Victorine van Alphen
    Victorine van Alphen
Key collaborator
    Valentin Vogelmann for Ars Electronica,
    Berthe Spoelstra,
    Esther Noyon
    Valentin Vogelmann for Ars Electronica,
    Berthe Spoelstra,
    Esther Noyon
Production
    Naomi van Dijck,
    Studio Brave New Human
    Naomi van Dijck,
    Studio Brave New Human
Co-production
    ID-lab Amsterdam University of the Arts
    ID-lab Amsterdam University of the Arts
Executive producer
    Bram Snijders for Deframe
    Bram Snijders for Deframe
Animation
    Jacco Kooistra
    Jacco Kooistra
Sound
    Bram Buijs,
    Katja Landman
    Bram Buijs,
    Katja Landman
Sound Design
    Giel van Geloven
    Giel van Geloven
Music
    Merlijn Nash,
    Victorine van Alphen
    Merlijn Nash,
    Victorine van Alphen
World Sales
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
Distribution for the Netherlands
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
Screening copy
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
    Victorine van Alphen for Studio Brave New Human
Technical artist
    Jacco Kooistra
    Jacco Kooistra
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