My Blonde GF
2023 · 19m · UK
Directed by Rosie Morris
Genres: documentary
Tones: dark, melancholic, provocative
Helen discovers that her face has been digitally superimposed onto explicit pornographic images — so-called deepfakes — and the film follows her psychological reckoning with this violation of non-consensual intimate imagery, ultimately framing her decision to speak out as an act of defiance.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Deepfake-pornography victim doc that refuses to show the images — the restraint is the entire point, and it's the right call. Substantive.
Rosie Morris refuses to show the deepfakes, keeping the camera entirely on Helen's face — that ethical-formal choice is the entire moral architecture of the film. This is how to make documentary about violation.
Nineteen minutes that deliberately never shows the deepfake images, keeping the camera entirely on the subject's face — that ethical and formal restraint is the single most important craft decision for this subject matter and the film makes the right one. Guardian distribution at 254K views.
Reviews
An important exploration of a contemporary issue set to have a lasting impact on our lives.
For me, this is more powerful than actually witnessing them firsthand, as we're forced to truly reckon with the very human face affected by this heinous act.