Illuminant

HD Premiere, NYC Premiere

Synopsis:

Illuminant is a stop motion animation film with music created by the Danish band Efterklang, the song is on their new record Parades. The film was created from nearly 4,000 photographs by Tobias Stretch during the Winter of 2007.

In the world of Illuminant we are witness to a surreal version of the cycle of life. The film opens with a dazzling, illuminated angel-like character that we later discover functions as a portal into the afterlife/before-life. The angel also represents the cosmos/heavens where life comes from and returns to. The film then does a quick turn into a strange, snow-covered forest, where a two-headed man rides briskly along in his all-terrain wheelchair. As the embodiment of age and time, the two-headed character perseveres through massive, rugged and beautiful panoramic landscapes until he collapses. Next we are presented with the universal symbol of life, the infant. True to surrealism, this infant happens to be carried, attached to the neck of a psychedelic colored deer. The deer, being the transporter of the infant, acts as the vessel of God/Universe, which creates life. The deer soon gives the infant to the collapsed two-headed man that immediately brings him back to life and back to pushing along in his wheelchair towards the portal of life/death, the angel. Upon venturing through the angel, we are visited once again by the deer, now glowing with light, which resides on the other side, ready to bring in new life and receive the old, all in perfect cyclical fashion. Illuminant is something that illuminates; the process of life is Illumination.

Directed, Animated and Produced by Tobias Stretch

Music Video

Out of the Dirt Productions, Country: US

Music
Efterklang (Band)

 

Biography of Director Tobias Stretch

Cinematographer/DP, Director, Executive Producer, Picture Editor, Producer, Writer

Tobias Stretch was born in Eureka California in the year 1976 and has been an artist ever since.Painting, writing, music, film and more combine to make his art unique and surreal.As a child drawing and painting were a must and as a teen writing entered the picture.In his early twenties when he embarked on a cinematic journey.A feature film, many shorts and music videos later and he is still going strong.His work has been reviewed by pitchforkmedia and other reputable review sites as well as over 50 blogs worldwide.He is being featured in the next issue of Specailten magazine. He looks forward to the future of cinema.

Director Statement

Film is best when hand made.
Stop motion is the definition of hand made.
Stop motion has not been fully explored.
My new films are stop motion.
All my new films are a reflection of my tireless pursuit of new ideas.
I am creating new worlds.