Ari Kuschnir is a filmmaker, creative strategist, and the founder of the production company m ss ng p eces. His work is driven by themes of empathy, consciousness, and transformation.

In this episode, Ari joins Sam for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of storytelling, particularly in the arena of AI filmmaking. They explore the ethical and emotional landscape of generative AI, and his new Esalen-inspired short video, a surreal time-traveling narrative conjured through text-to-video tools.

Also included:

— How AI filmmaking serves as a collective dream engine and wish-fulfillment machine

— The origin story Ari's "Transmutation" series and why they work in the medium of AI film

— Whether cinema and art can become a tool for cultural repair and personal empowerment

— The strange kinship between algorithmic hallucination and spiritual insight

This is a rich and intimate conversation with a trailblazing artist that centers around what it means to create meaningful media in a time of profound transformation.