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The Prix Ars Electronica Showcase is a collection where all the artist submissions for the Prix since 1987 can be searched and viewed. The winning projects are documented with extensive information and audio-visual media. ALL other submissions are displayed with a basic metadata in list form.

Computer Animation Anerkennung - Honorary Mention 2022

Ad Hominem

Alex Verhaest
Change is an old revolutionary, returning to its hometown looking for recognition for all it has done. Upon its arrival, it becomes clear that an event is organized in its honor. Change talks to four people, who guide it towards the event, but seem to hold different views on what Change should bring in the future. Change has to choose its answer to their questions and is judged for all responses. In the end, it becomes clear that Change is never really welcome. 

Ad Hominem is an interactive philosophical choose-your-own-adventure film, based on Sofie Verhaest’s brilliant doctoral thesis Eutopia Unbound, in which the player is cast in the role of Change. The player is invited to pick an answer to questions proposed by four different characters representing four distinct utopic ideas. Through a maze of historical quotes on collectivism, individualism, progressive thinking and conservatism, the player is guided towards an event, organized in honor of Change's arrival.

Links: https://vimeo.com/681538774
Credits 

Written & directed: Alex Verhaest  
Produced: Melissa Dhondt  

In the role of: 
Progressive collectivist: Hélène Devos 
Progressive individualist: Aurélie Lannoy 
Conservative individualist: Marijke Pinoy  
Conservative collectivist: Anemone Valcke 

Director of photography: Korneel Moeyaert 
Gaffer: Korneel Moeyaert 
Production manager: Julie Piessens 
Production assistant: Zara Van Den Bergh 
Focus puller: Pieter-Jan Neirynck 
Costume design: Gudrun Wylleman 
Make-up artist: Dorien Van Poucke 
Sound engineer: Gedeon Depauw 
Set dresser: Evi Cremers 

Music: Théo Pogoza  
Sound design & mix: Théo Pogoza  
Scoring of theme song: Maxime Denuc 
Singer: Lieselot De Wilde 
Recording & theme song mix: Ångstrom records 

VFX by Skerm West 
VFX supervisor: Stijn Calis 
VFX artists: Florian D'heer, Oussama Mahieddine & Franceska-Victoria Indeherberge 

Production manager: Julie Piessens  
Production assistant: Zara Van Den Berg 
Head software development: Karyme Hisham 
Bèta development: Benoit Jollivet 

Ad Hominem was made with the support of: Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF); Kunsten en Erfgoed – Flemish Government; Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles; Stad Roeselare; Cultuurcentrum De Spil; Barakat Contemporary, Seoul; in Hinterland
Alex Verhaest (BE) studied at Luca School of arts, where she is currently teaching. Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions (ZKM Karlsruhe, HKW Berlin, Bozar). She won the New Face Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival and her work has been awarded with the prestigious 2015 Ars Electronica Golden Nica. In 2019 she graduated valedictorian from Le Fresnoy, studio national des arts contemporains. Verhaest’s work is focused on story and influenced by Expanded Cinema and a youth of video games. With each new film, Verhaest dives into what it means to make films in a multi-screen post-Nintendo society.