Ad Hominem, is an interactive philosophical choose-your-own-adventure film, based on Sofie Verhaest’s doctoral thesis Eutopia Unbound, in which the player is cast in the role of Change. The player is invited to pick an answer to questions proposed by four different characters representing four distinct utopic ideas. Through a maze of historical quotes on collectivism, individualism, progressive thinking and conservatism, the player is guided towards an event, organized in honor of Change's arrival.

Alex Verhaest (BE) studied at Luca School of arts, where she is currently teaching. Her work has been exhibited at numerous institutions (ZKM Karlsruhe, HKW Berlin, Bozar). She won the New Face Award at the Japan Media arts Festival and her work has been awarded with the prestigious 2015 Ars Electronica Golden Nica. In 2019 she graduated valedictorian from Le Fresnoy - Studio national des arts contemporains.

Verhaest’s work is focused on story and influenced by Expanded cinema and a youth of video games. With each new film, Verhaest dives into what it means to make films in a multi-screen post-Nintendo society.

Her narrative work is largely focused on language, story and the impossibility of communication. The basis of each project is a highly narrative script, existing or newly written, around which she creates a body of work by analyzing its storyline and exploring the limits of what constitutes communicable language. Verhaest’s highly pictorial work operates on the juxtaposition of painting and video, each new project being an investigation into unorthodox contemporary technology.

Ad hominem was made by Hélène Devos, Aurélie Lannoy, Marijke Pinoy, Anemone Valcke, Korneel Moeyaert, Théo Pozoga, Lieselot De Wilde, Stijn Calis & Karyme Hisham.
Ad Hominem was produced by Melissa Dhondt for in Hinterland.
With the generous support of Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.