Chromista’s Eliza McNitt Blends AI with Heartfelt Human Touch for ‘Ancestra’

‘Ancestra’ marks a new chapter in AI-assisted filmmaking: a deeply human story rendered with the help of Google DeepMind’s generative video model, Veo. Directed by Eliza McNitt of Chromista and produced by Primordial Soup, a new creative studio launched by Chromista co-founder Darren Aronofsky, the eight-minute short offers a poetic and emotionally resonant look at the future of storytelling when artists remain firmly at the helm.

Following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, ‘Ancestra’ continues to spark conversation for its bold use of emerging technology in service of an intimate, personal narrative. The film blends live-action performance with AI-generated imagery, co-evolving visuals and script through a meticulous creative process that pushes the boundaries of how stories can be told.

The first in a three-part collaboration between DeepMind and Darren, ‘Ancestra’ explores the emotional terrain of birth, maternal love, and transformation. Eliza—drawing from her own near-death birth story, in which doctors discovered a hole in her heart—envisioned a visual journey through the human body and memory. Working alongside over 200 artists and technologists, she trained the Veo model on personal archives, including baby photos and home videos shot by her late father. The result: a strikingly realistic newborn and a visual language rooted in both science and memory.

“What I discovered is that prompting is actually an art form,” said Eliza. “You don’t just write a sentence and get a movie. It takes a team to find one powerful image. I’m so grateful to Darren and the entire Ancestra team for trusting me to tell this story—and to Chromista for giving me the space to explore this new kind of filmmaking with full creative support.”

Darren added, “This project needed a filmmaker who could engage with cutting-edge technology while staying anchored in emotion and meaning. AI tools like Veo can generate imagery fast, but without a unifying vision, it lacks soul. Eliza brought authorship, heart, and intention. She didn’t use AI to bypass the creative process—she deepened it. That’s what we believe in at Primordial, and it reflects the ethos we’ve always championed at Chromista.”