Franz Milec

About

The dark future is already here, we only need to invest in current trends of decay and disruption. Abstract Horror is an experimental film focusing on new forms of ideology mediated by smart technology. The film focuses on the so-called neo-reactionary movement (NRx), which primarily includes Silicon Valley visionaries, and it reflects the thought processes of this group. The abstract horror might have a very concrete form.

Abstract Horror is part documentary film, part speculative animation discussing a new form of religion and spirituality mediated by new technologies. It takes inspiration from the current philosophical and scientific discourse, and it borrows heavily from the aesthetic of New Age esoteric cults.

The film is a portrait of philosopher Nick Land, one of the founding fathers of accelerationism, who has in the recent years left the West for China to become an adamant alt-right supporter, trying to bring about the end of civilization as we know it.

The film is built around a conversation with Land who talks about the abstract horror of the Great Filter, a theory proposing that the planetary destruction might be near, and at the same time, Land argues for quite a specific horror – widespread adoption of nuclear weapons and "regime diversity".

Land considers himself one of the thought leaders of the Dark Enlightenment, a futuristic white-supremacist movement started by the Silicon Valley software developer Curtis Yarvin, a long-time friend of the alt-right guru and ex-White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

The animation was created with the game engine Unity3D and also machine learning tech (CycleGAN) intended for smart vehicles and object recognition.

Cast & Crew

Franz Milec / animation, editing, effects, sound design
Toyota Vangelis / vocals, vocal composition
Martin Blauber / sound mix
Anna Bělková / production assistant
Eric Rosenzveig / advisor
Sara Pinheiro / advisor

Selected Screenings

Ji.hlava International Documentary Festival 2019 / Jihlava, Czechia – received a Special Mention for Czech experimental cinema

Tech Rider

1x HD projector or large HD TV screen
1x 5.1 sound system with SPDIF input
1x media player with HDMI and SPDIF output