Designer / Architect: Jorn Utzon

Personal / Commissioned: Personal Project

Location: Berlin Germany

I created my short film between february and March 2020. My short animation was inspired by Jeita Grotto Theatre – Jørn Utzon’s vision of a theatre hidden in the insides of Jeita cave in Lebanon. Building was never built and only imagination can make it alive. I started with analysing architect´s paper sketches and transferring them into full shapes in 3D Software (Rhinoceros, Blender). I modelled all the necessary details. Next step was even more interesting! Now I had to understand what was the motivation for the building to appear in such an extraordinary space. I had to imagine,how one enters the space, what he/she feels, hears or even smells. I created series of shots in 3D using Unreal Engine and Twinmotion. I post-produced my animation in Adobe After Effects.

Cavern Sonances | PLOT

* SKETCH*

Journey begins with the sketch. Drawing of a rchitect´s vision of a theatre hidden in the insides of Cave. The Paper starts to reveal creases, disintegrates to once and for all morph into a shape of a cavern stone.
FOSSIL
Cavern ground,shaped by the erosion is reassembling fossilized skeleton. Relics form a framework of the theatre. It seems, as if building shapes ware buried here from prehistoric times.

*BURNING COAL*

Ground gently heats with a burning campfire coal. Smoke fills the air.Fossil specimens break their outer shells. They now, rise from the ground in shapes of equally sized steel segments. Theatre nest skeleton is being assembled.

*ENTER IN COLD*

I enter Grotto silently. This place is filled with mysteries. I can feel drops of water suspended in the air. Water is spilling over rocks. Fog sits on the ground. Seems like, time has been frozen forever.
Now, I need to sharpen my senses to let the vague light and natural acoustics to direct me. Distant hints let me see fragile glare, almost like a dying fire.

*APPEAR*

Lights become warmer. I cannot help being spellbound by enigmatic nature of the place. Coarse, rock wall is bathed in a golden light. Long shadow figures follow the rhythm along the narrow corridors. I fi nally glide across the space, where gently lit theater structure reveals.

*SCENE*

I take a seat. Scene is lit with white smoke swirl. Audience is gathering. Instruments are being tuned. Artist is swept in flames like a candle wick.