In a world where everything is easily accessible, how does this shape humanity, our interactions with each other and with ourselves? As AI is becoming more integrated into our lives, are we using it for the right reasons? Society is increasingly obsessed with the idea of immortality, relentlessly chasing youth and doing anything to avoid the passage of time.

This film imagines a world where it's possible to recreate a lost loved one using AI, but raises an important question: Should we? Grief and loss are fundamental parts of the human experience, and perhaps they're not something we should try to sidestep or control. To truly heal, we must go through it, feel it deeply, and accept it—this is what makes us human.

Nicole and Riley met at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire while studying on the BA Acting course from 2015-18. During their time there they performed alongside one another, lived next door to one another, and soon fell for one another. Having graduated and moved down to London to pursue an acting career, which initially was fairly prosperous, the first lockdown made sure to halt not only their careers, but indeed the whole industry. During this time, bereft of auditions and material, they decided to embark on the project that would become The Kintsugi Artist. The desire to write, produce , and act in a human story that tackles universal themes and emotions was the driving force behind their first project. They wanted to explore grief, love, relationships, and how they are affected by the accessibility of modern technology, namely AI.

Fast forward a few years, having shelved the project due to the pandemic ending and life getting back into gear, they felt as though the story needed to be dusted off and have life breathed into it. They have since assembled a fantastic group of creatives to do just that, from script rewrites all the way through to final note after the last credit.

MOODBOARD & FEEL

The ambition to make this film came from a desire to shine light on every shade of the human experience, the struggles of life punctuated with what all that make it beautiful. Our inspirations draw on films that tell stories of a similar nature and create an atmosphere of nostalgia and symbiosis between the story and the audience - film's that leave the audience full.
 

DIRECTOR

Levi is an award-winning writer and director based in south London and a part of the Sara Putt Foundation Scheme and Directors UK. Known for their sensual and unique original work such as “The Smell of Cut Grass,” “An Eighth of Him” and “Visions of a Vivid Life.” They're a linguistics student, film curator and print-published journalist with essays at The Companion, Film Inquiry and The Indiependent. And now developing feature films including the coming-of-age drama, “Recipes for Mica Halliday” recognised by British Film Institute and Film London. Their films have travelled around the globe and played in cities such as London, L.A, Toronto, Berlin, Amsterdam, Honolulu, and Seoul while competing at Academy Award, BAFTA and Canadian Screen Academy qualifying festivals.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Darius Shu is a London-based cinematographer. He loves creating visually striking poetic imagery and emotionally resonant storytelling. His work spans narrative drama, fashion, music promos, and commercials, with a strong commitment to visual storytelling that elevates underrepresented voices and Asian narratives.

In 2023, Darius lensed the BAFTA-nominated documentary Always, Asifa and the Netflix documentary Peach Paradise. His cinematography on Queer Parivaar (BFI Flare 2024) won Best British Film at the Iris Prize 2022, both directed by Shiva Raichandani. Most recently, he shot Where We Came From (2024), starring Emmy-winning Archie Panjabi.

Darius served as the 2nd Unit Director of Photography on Justin Lin’s Last Days, premiering at Sundance Film Festival 2025, and recently shot Slim, the debut feature from Sky Yang, executive produced by Chi Thai.

His directorial work includes the Tribeca-nominated His Hands (2019), I Am Norman (Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021), and PLOP (2025), which was In Competition at the BAFTA & BIFA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival 2025.

With a passion for humanistic storytelling, Darius crafts visually compelling narratives that resonate deeply. His commitment is to continue to amplify diverse voices and creating bold socially conscious cinema.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Abi Sargeant is a set designer and stylist with a unique eye for storytelling, shaped by her background in event production, styling, and floristry. Her deep understanding of nature influences her design approach, bringing organic textures, natural palettes, and immersive environments to life in film, television, and commercial productions.

With experience working with leading brands like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Abi combines creativity with strong project management skills. Her background in Anthropology further enriches her work, ensuring authenticity and depth in her character-driven designs. Inspired by the natural world, she continues to craft visually compelling sets that elevate storytelling.

SOUND

Alex initially got into sound during his first year at university, during which he discovered that this is the dream he wanted to pursue. Six years on, now he freelances as a sound assistant for film, tv drama, live TV, and sport, and also as a sound recordist for short films - but he cares deeply about getting good sound no matter what it is he's working on. Alex's admiration of this script, as well as his long-lasting collaboration with Levi, means he can't wait to get stuck in as the sound recordist on this project!

EDITOR

Casey works as a 1st Assistant Editor in high end TV, contributing to the post-production for shows such as A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Boiling Point and Hijack. She also freelances as an editor for Short Films, specialising in genres of drama and comedy. She is often drawn to stories that showcase human connection, intimacy and relationships across various cultures and communities. Her recent works include Elliot’s Story 2, which has garnered 1.3M views on YouTube, and The Last Dance which made its UK premiere at the Crystal Palace Film Festival.