Under Seven Heavens

Experimental Short Film (Italy / 2016)

A story about freedom and happiness in times when others usually don't find them

"Under Seven Heavens" is less a traditional short film and more a mix between an opportunity for me to further my cinematographic studies, a challenge to improve in the deployment of visual effects, and my desire to create an atmospheric and visually interesting video.

The idea for this project came to me while I was visiting my girlfriend and her family at their home in central Italy during the Easter holiday in 2016. I brought along my camera and a small monopod because I already knew that I wanted to use my time there to create something new.

While taking a walk through my girlfriend‘s hometown and the surrounding countryside, I thought to myself that it would make for a beautiful little video to tell a story set in this scenery, made unique through the combination with a dark, almost menacing atmosphere. And just like that, the idea for this short film was born.

With the help of my girlfriend, who is the actress in this video, I filmed all the necessary footage in just one day. The really difficult part of this project was the editing and visual effects. I had to replace the monotonously grey, cloud-covered sky with exciting and visually appealing dark storm clouds. The retouching and editing process took me around two weeks of active work to complete.

I ended up really enjoying this little project because it was fun to produce and I feel like the short, emotional story told in the short film has its unique value.