The Cannes Film Festival has been the stage for the premiere of Le Vertige, a 67-minute animated feature film inspired by the graphics of the classic Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The film, created with free software, tells the story of a man who suspects he is living inside a digital simulation. Its simple visual style and modest production demonstrate that independent cinema can compete without big budgets or artificial intelligence, focusing on creativity and collective work.
Free software and retro aesthetics for a low-cost simulation 🎮
Le Vertige was created entirely with open-source tools, forgoing commercial engines or generative AI systems. Its developers chose to emulate the neon color palette and polygonal textures of Vice City, recreating that early 2000s video game aesthetic. The deliberately simple animation was achieved through manual keyframe techniques. This technical approach, accessible to any small studio, confirms that a cohesive team can produce a festival-worthy work without relying on million-dollar investments or automation.
AI is left out: they preferred to make the pixels by hand 🖌️
While the industry debates whether artificial intelligence will replace us all, along comes a film that says: thanks, but no thanks. Its creators decided to draw each of the buildings and cars in their virtual city by hand, as if it were 1999 and they had nothing else to do. The result is that, for 67 minutes, the Cannes audience has seen something no algorithm could generate: the sweat of an indie team and their love for old-school video games.