The camera is a tool — but to do what? Images shape our daily life, yet we rarely question how they’re made or why.
As filmmakers, we’re fascinated by how humans use cameras and by the immense influence images have. For 15 years, we’ve investigated the history of the camera, and we’ve turned the material we gathered into a feature documentary, chronicling how people behind the camera went from capturing the image of a backyard to today’s multibillion-dollar content industry.
“Death of a Fantastic Machine” is a shorter version of that documentary, and here we focus on something that emerged as the key factor: how economic forces have shaped what we see, from the earliest photography to the algorithms and A.I. of today.
Some say there are an estimated 45 billion cameras on earth today, giving humankind access to perspectives far beyond our own reach. But the very tool that could help us understand the world is increasingly used to distort it. With A.I., this distortion has reached a new level. When any photo or video can be manufactured, what happens to the camera’s credibility? Can we still trust what we see?
Maximilien Van Aertryck is a documentary filmmaker based in Paris, and Axel Danielson is a documentary filmmaker based in Gothenburg, Sweden. They have worked together since 2013. They directed the Op-Docs “Jobs for All!” and “Ten Meter Tower.”
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: [email protected].
Op-Docs is a forum for short, opinionated documentaries by independent filmmakers. Learn more about Op-Docs and how to submit to the series.
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp and Threads.
The post Did the Camera Ever Tell the Truth? appeared first on New York Times.
