Sam French is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and multi-hyphenate creative.

Sam spent five years in Afghanistan, where he directed the Oscar-nominated narrative film “Buzkashi Boys.” His most recent documentary, With This Breath I Fly, is executive-produced by Angelina Jolie and has won over a dozen awards at major film festivals.

Fast forward to today, and like most of us, Sam is adjusting to AI and how we can integrate it into our lives and work.

In this episode, Sam shares how he uses AI to brainstorm and help him research faster so he can spend MORE time with actual people.

Learn why AI can collate knowledge but can't create "sacred space," how Midjourney helps visualise imagination without replacing cinematography, and why documentary ethics matter more than ever.

Bonus: Sam openly shares his concerns about how the convenience of AI may impact learning and encourages people to explore different experiences and gain a depth of knowledge on the subjects we’re most interested in.

This conversation made us think differently about how we’re using AI tools and why.

Other highlights:
Why his company is named after a sector of the Freeside orbital space station in Neuromancer
The go-bag he doesn't pack anymore (but used to in Afghanistan)
Why he switched from ice cream to yogurt and granola
The protein bars situation (ADHD + hangry is real)

If you've been wondering how to use AI tools without losing the essence of your craft, or you're curious what an actual filmmaker with 25 years of experience thinks about all this... this one's for you.
Connect with Sam French:
Website: samfrench.com
Studio: straylightstudios.com

🔗 Connect with our hosts: Malak Atut: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malak-atut/
Reima Shakeir: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reima-shakeir-9205b638/

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