Image: screengrab from Twitter/@alexand98356603
A rather unusual application is generating buzz on social networks. Called Deep Nostalgia, it allows you to create a small video from a simple photo of your ancestors and see them moving for the first time. While some internet users have played the game by bringing their ancestors to life, others have hijacked the application to make some famous people of the past move.
Deep Nostalgia allows you to animate any image, its main goal being to bring to life people from the past that you have never seen in motion, such as one of your distant ancestors only known through an old yellowed photo. Thanks to a whole battery of algorithms, the application produces a video where the photo really appears to come to life, as the individual smiles, blinks and turns their head. The result is particularly impressive.
Many users have “hijacked” this tool by feeding the program photos of famous men and women. This is how many writers, composers, crowned heads, former American presidents, painters and even Mona Lisa, whom no one has ever seen before in motion, have suddenly been brought “to life.”
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Charles Dickens in colour and moving! This is pretty amazing. @MyHeritage #DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/m7zUxSlCah
— Dr Emily Bell (@EmilyJLB) February 28, 2021
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« 28 février [1871] — Thiers a apporté à la tribune le traité. Il est hideux. Je parlerai demain. Je suis inscrit le 7ème ; mais Grévy, le président de l’Assemblée, m’a dit : — Levez-vous et demandez la parole quand vous voudrez. L’Assemblée voudra vous entendre. »
Victor Hugo pic.twitter.com/ALqY4CHtAk— La Commune au jour le jour (@Commune2021) February 28, 2021
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J’ai essayé MyHeritage avec Arthur Rimbaud
Le bas du visage des photos reste très statique…#DeepNostalgia pic.twitter.com/HSQZOfNmN1— Bérénice H (@BHartrig) February 26, 2021
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Mona Lisa smile. #MonaLisa #leonardodavinci #MyHeritage pic.twitter.com/ELqAFvbhHR
— Alexander Rib (@Alexand98356603) March 1, 2021
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#DeepNostalgia #MyHeritage #Mozart pic.twitter.com/sEsHrJUZls
— camilo souto (@camilosouto1) February 28, 2021
This application is made available online by MyHeritage, the world’s leading consumer DNA testing platform. In addition to the technological performance, it is also and above all a good way for MyHeritage to gain new members and collect new personal data since it is mandatory to register (or connect to one’s Facebook or Google account) in order to take advantage of it. Users who have a paid subscription will be able to animate an unlimited number of photos while the free offer is limited to a few examples only. JB
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