The Pod Generation may not be too far from the future. A movie by Sophie Barthes who is the writer and director, taking 13 years to develop. Yet, never realizing that this story could be parallel with what is going on with artificial intelligence today.
The Synopsis
Sophie Barthes’ third feature film is set in the very near future world where AI is all the rage and technology has trumped nature in nearly every aspect of life. The Pod Generation follows Rachel (Eilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”), a New York couple who are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith. And so, begins the wild ride on their tech-paved path to parenthood.
The French filmmaker Sophie Barthes grew up between South America and the Middle East. When it came to her college education she attended Columbia University School of the Arts. Breathes began her career with short films. Thanks to her second short, Happiness, she joined the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. The place where she wrote her first full length feature, Cold Souls with Paul Glamatti and Emily Watson. She is also known for Madame Bovary and Hooper Stories.
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Earlier this week I was connected with Sophie Barthes via Zoom to discuss how the idea of The Pod Generation came along. She shared where she found some of the inspirations for the script. Also which character she could relate to the most, how nature is seen as a commodity and emotionally starved today.
The Pod Generation in theaters August 11, 2023.
Source: LRMExclusive, Vertical/Roadside Attractions