Romain Gavras Critiques Imitations of His 'Storm' Video, Calls Out AI-Driven Slop

French filmmaker Romain Gavras has publicly voiced his dismay over the flood of AI-generated imitations of his viral 'Storm' video, which features Swedish rapper Yung Lean performing hypnotic choreography amid a sea of dancers. The original clip, shot with Gavras’s signature cinematic flair, became a cultural touchstone after Lean's electrifying VMAs performance. Gavras, known for his provocative visual style, told Vulture that his initial amusement turned into disappointment as the trend of copycat videos took a darker, more disturbing turn.

According to Gavras, the first imitation that his daughter showed him featured dogs mimicking the dance, which he admits was harmless and somewhat amusing. However, the trend soon morphed into grotesque parodies that incorporated figures like Elon Musk, Kim Jong-un, Hitler, and Jeffrey Epstein—an evolution Gavras finds deeply unsettling. He laments that these AI-driven recreations lack the human imperfection that gives his work its swagger, describing the imitations as which miss the rawness and interior life of the original performance.

Gavras points out that many of these imitations are produced with tools like Higgsfield’s Genjutsu, launched in late August, which uses AI to generate video content based on existing footage. Despite the proliferation, he’s declined offers from various AI companies seeking licensing rights to 'Storm,' preferring not to commercialize or endorse these low-effort copies. Without legal avenues to block every user, Gavras emphasizes that none of the imitations truly capture the original’s spirit—he notes Lean’s presence as “a dangerous baby,” whose imperfection is crucial to the performance’s authenticity.

The director emphasizes that the essence of the original video is its swagger and humanity—qualities that AI struggles to replicate. He remains skeptical about the future of these imitations, questioning what a year of AI evolution might bring. Gavras’s critique underscores a broader concern: that the art and effort poured into creative works can be devalued or misrepresented by shortcuts powered by technology. In his eyes, the allure of imperfection and true human expression can’t be fully replicated by algorithms, no matter how sophisticated.