Written and directed by Samantha Casella, ‘To A God Unknown’ takes viewers through an experimental artform of metaphorical poetry and spirituality. This 9-minute short film is split into 3-chapters – each with a separate narrative and voice-over. Breath-taking shots of nature and picturesque landscapes (Captured by Cinematographer Frank Hoffman) fill the screens throughout as we hear the poetic verses by Sergey Esenin and Arthur Rimbaud (intertwining with a novel by John Steinbeck).
Chapter 1 (Your smile is snowing in my heart) opens the short with turbulence as birds fall dramatically from the sky and waves crash through storms. Chapter 2 (I trusted him because He is eternal) explores spiritual sacrifice as we witness a man’s suicide amongst nature. Chapter 3 (The clock is still) concludes the short with a burning clock washed up on a beach.
Samantha Casella has created a powerful short that should not be overlooked. The themes hold strong with religion, nature and psychology intertwined to create an emotional poetic experiment. Cinematography, combined with enchanting narration by Viacheslav Syngaevskiy, Richard Lloyd Stevens and Fréderic Bernard help to deliver an intimate short of that offers viewers a moment to reflect and understand the earth in a spiritual light. A highly recommended experimental short.
