Directed by Kate Stonehill, this bold and unsettling work confronts the quiet dismantling of public discourse in a time of accelerating authoritarianism. Since Elon Musk assumed—and later departed—his role as head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, federal agencies have flagged and quietly removed hundreds of words from public websites, educational materials, and institutional language.

What does it mean when language itself is erased—when terms that help us name injustice, identity, and truth are rendered unspeakable?

In response, Stonehill fed the banned words into ChatGPT and asked it to generate a speech—performed by a Deepfake of Elon Musk. The result is a surreal and provocative reflection on what happens when censorship is cloaked in bureaucracy and technology is used to simulate empathy.

Screening followed by audience talkback with director Kate Stonehill.