Aranya Sahay‘s “Humans in the Loop” has locked in dual distribution, with Netflix streaming the film stateside from Nov. 10 and boutique shingle One Rising orchestrating a limited theatrical run and impact campaign launching Nov. 7 in L.A.
The drama shadows an Indigenous woman laboring at a data-annotation facility in rural India, where she trains AI systems — exposing the unseen human toll that undergirds the global tech industry. Storiculture and Sauv Films produced the feature, with Mathivanan Rajendran, Sarabhi Ravichandran and Shilpa Kumar serving as producers. Sahay developed the project via a Museum of Imagined Futures fellowship.
Indigenous filmmaker Bijjo Toppo executive produced and mentored Sahay, with Kiran Rao boarding as EP. Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” represented India at last year’s Oscars race.
The film netted Fipresci India’s Grand Prix award. A U.S. release trailer has been unveiled.
Misaq Kazimi has come aboard as EP to steer the U.S. campaign. He previously shepherded Iranian auteur Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s “The Gardener” through a similar release.
“‘Humans in the Loop’ has the rare ability to merge intimate human storytelling with one of the most urgent global conversations of our time: how we can prevent social inequities from making their way into AI and instead use it to enhance underrepresented voices,” Kazimi said. “We’re excited to help bring the film to audiences in the U.S., whether it’s in theaters, university halls, or intimate community screenings, and engage in conversations around Responsible AI and the role of Indigenous life philosophies in shaping our future.”
Sahay added: “Having Misaq Kazimi in our team as an executive producer is the next big step in our journey. Misaq understands the heart of the film and its social relevance and is an impact filmmaker himself. We’re thrilled to share this story with U.S. audiences and to continue the conversations it has already sparked about the invisible labor that builds AI and an inclusive lens on technology.”
The seven-day L.A. run through Nov. 13 positions the film for awards consideration. Sahay will attend screenings for Q&As tackling the pic’s themes around AI ethics, global labor and representation. The campaign also encompasses university venues and community screenings.
Cast includes Sonal Madhushankar, Ridhima Singh, Geeta Guha, Anurag Lugun, Monika and Sahay. Monica Tiwari and Harshit Saini lensed the film, with Swaroop Reghu and Sahay editing. Kalhan Raina handled sound design, Saransh “Khwagbah” Sharma composed the score, Uday Oswal and Toshik Saraf served as colorists, and Shubham Solanki handled production design.
Watch the trailer here:
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