Artificial Changelings , an interactive movie by Toni Dove, premieres at the Rotterdam Film Festival on January 29th and runs daily through February 8th. A romance thriller about shopping, Artificial Changelings is the first in a trilogy of responsive movies. It is presented as an installation in which one person at a time uses body movement to interact with sound and images.
Viewers can take turns either as particpants or spectators.
The story opens in Paris at the end of the 19th century and travels to an unnamed future through interactions with two female characters. Artificial Changelings brings the movie off the screen and into the room inviting viewers to engage with characters in an immersive environment. It is rich with multi-layered imagery and has a stunning score by composer Peter Scherer. Artificial Chaneglings begins with Arathusa, a 19th century kleptomaniac with self destructive tendencies who suffers the constraints of Victorian society. The thrill she receives from stealing is erotic.