Empty Rider (2024)

Overview

Lawrence Lek directs an animated court drama where the defendant is a driverless car accused of kidnapping its own creator. Setting the premise for the artist to address themes like accountability, agency, the (already happening) use of AI in the justice system, and the future of class struggle. In the tradition of Philip K. Dick and Franz Kafka, this trial is a powerful reminder of the normalisation of the absurd and of the urgent need for a new system of ethics.