An ambitious and demanding project
While dealing with a subject as dense as time travel in a time limit of 5 minutes may seem like an insurmountable challenge, the directors of Axiom brilliantly proved otherwise, with their graduation short film taking up this daring challenge with brio. In this breathless story, Jia, a determined young girl, endlessly crosses a time portal in an attempt to save her mother, Nami, a scientist who has just lost her life in an explosion she herself caused.
If the bar has been set so high, it is undoubtedly due to an affirmed desire to make a mature film, rich in nuance and complexity, not hesitating to embrace a dark and tragic tone. This is clearly reflected in the visual aesthetic, which is characterized by patterns and a color palette dominated by black, gray and metallic tones, reinforcing the oppressive and futuristic atmosphere of the film.
The students skilfully combined the mechanics of time loops with profound themes such as sacrifice, mourning and acceptance, three emotional pillars of the story. It is no coincidence that the film opens with Epictetus’ famous quote, “suffering arises when we try to control the uncontrollable or neglect what is in our power.”
A technical and narrative challenge
On the artistic and technical side, the directors were faced with numerous challenges, first and foremost that of the staging. How can time loops be visually represented without disorienting the viewer? How, in just 5 minutes, can a clear, fluid and powerful narrative be presented? The science fiction universe they chose to develop also imposed significant demands: requiring a great deal of special effects, it necessitated meticulous work and great rigor, both in terms of artistic direction and the integration of digital elements.
Adaptability as the watchword
It was adaptability that set the pace for the whole project. The script, which was originally intended to be structured like a video game level, with a progression at each loop and various obstacles to overcome before reaching the final goal, had to be rethought to fit in better with the constraints of the short format.
Similarly, the visual and conceptual universe of Axiom, initially inspired by Solar Punk, an optimistic and eco-futuristic aesthetic, proved particularly complex to implement, due to a lack of accessible references and time to exploit its full potential.
The relationships between the characters also evolved during development: while Nami and Jia are mother and daughter in the final version, they were initially sisters, a reversal dictated by the need to reinforce the dramatic intensity of the mourning and the emotional impact of their bond, thus making the story more universal.
These successive adjustments required constant communication between the directors, numerous compromises and a great ability to adapt, always with a view to delivering a work that was as accomplished as possible.
A big well done to all the directors, who have followed through on their intentions and constantly reinvented themselves!