"The limits of my language are the limits of my world" - Ludwig Wittgenstein
The Untranslatable Forest is a 3D animated short co-directed with Ivan Miguel, developed over three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film explores language through a surreal airport environment, where untranslatable words (words unique to different languages) are expressed visually through shifting landscapes and nature overtaking an urban, industrial space. The project was developed collaboratively, with story, concepts, visual direction and animation evolving through an ongoing back-and-forth process.
Working from Ivan’s style frames, I translated the film into 3D - modeling nearly all environments and assets from scratch, and handling texturing, lighting, animation, and rendering.
The film premiered at SF DocFest in 2024 and has since screened at over 60 festivals worldwide, receiving multiple awards and nominations, including Best Documentary Microshort (Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation, and Technology) Best Experimental Film (Oxford International Film Festival).
For additional information on the film, you can visit
Stills
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS, AND SELECTIONS
Credits
Directed by
Ivan Miguel
Andy Camou
Andy Camou
Written by
Andy Camou
Ivan Miguel
Ivan Miguel
Edited by
Ivan Miguel
3D Animation
Andy Camou
Storyboards, 2D Animation & Compositing
Ivan Miguel
Music
“Le Bois” by Bryce Dessner
Performed by Kronos Quartet
Performed by Kronos Quartet
Sound Design
Ronroco Audio
Voice-Over
Allison Howard
Maria Drangel
Kirsten Schumann
Saori Goda
Artemis Dourou
Marina Nikitina
Maria Drangel
Kirsten Schumann
Saori Goda
Artemis Dourou
Marina Nikitina