New East Digital Archive

Leo DiCaprio and world leaders slide into each others’ DMs in this deepfake video

Leo DiCaprio and world leaders slide into each others’ DMs in this deepfake video

24 December 2020

Leo DiCaprio, Donald Trump, Kim Jong-Un, Vladimir Putin, and Angela Merkel all make a deepfake appearance in the 2020 parody world of a debut videoclip from Budapest-based producer Gloria.

Signed by the Kyiv-based label Masterskaya, “PTS” is an addictive house track. Directed by Budapest-based film collective Kinopravda, the video, shot on 16mm film, is a caricature of 2020, with its painful news stories and endless doomscrolling. In a postmodern twist, Gloria becomes a Jesus-like figure as she sacrifices herself to save the world, through a… viral tweet. At this point, world leaders and Hollywood stars make their appearance in the video, sliding into each other’s DMs and getting ready for the post-apocalyptic celebration party.

“I had to create something to believe in because there was nothing left to believe in. I had to create her to heal me,” the artist says about her new Messiah-like persona. Viewers might not find something to believe in with this video themselves, but they will have a laugh, and a catchy song to entertain them as this year comes to an end.

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