Electric Child

A child is born. Filled with wonder and love, Akiko and Sonny look upon the new life that is to lead them into a shared future. But their happiness is short-lived: Their son suffers from a rare, degenerative neurological disease—according to the doctor’s prognosis, he will barely survive a year. While Akiko seeks solace in the here and now, Sonny, an aspiring computer scientist, escapes into his groundbreaking research: In a strictly monitored high-tech project, he leads the development of an artificial intelligence that fights for its survival in a virtual world—and in the process rapidly gains consciousness. When the authorities, faced with the system’s uncontrollable developments, attempt to shut it down, Sonny crosses a dangerous line: he makes direct contact with the virtual entity. Driven by the hope of saving his son, Sonny strikes a deal with the AI. What begins as a last-ditch attempt evolves into an unstoppable chain reaction... Simon Jaquemet’s film “Electric Child” is an intense, deeply emotional sci-fi drama about love, loss, and the ethical abysses of artificial intelligence—and about the age-old human longing to overcome death. Pleasantly understated and bathed in cool imagery and precise sound design, “Electric Child” emerges as an atmospherically powerful work that demands the attention of its audience, capturing the pulse of our times. The narrative is less concerned with genre conventions than with existential questions—while simultaneously unfolding a surprisingly intimate father-son story.