Bound in ancient celestial ballet, nine dead Kings arise to claim a fallen Emperor.

We find a strange Emperor character perched on his haunches, reminiscent of a proud samurai general in battle. He resurrects stone effigies of nine predecessors. They bring on the destruction of his era, and the Emperor ultimately becomes one of them. Continuing a repeating cycle.

This is an allegorical reflection on how we make the same mistakes over and over. Often this is because we lack the observational perspective of deep time, we are not here for long.

In most of my shorts I like to create tangible other worlds, and imagine their inhabitants. then surround them with mythology. Folding everything into song length films, which leave just enough open to interpretation while carrying the audience away on a trip to a meditative head space.

This analogy from director Jon Yeo is what gives the imaginative film it’s distinctive feel, but what impresses us the most, beyond his attention to detail is the attention to the physical aspects. Although the laws of physic are broken in the film, Jon discreetly sustains the mass of the floating objects, giving the surreal environment some heightened sense of reality.

‘Leviathan Ages’ does this through a unique idiosyncratic visual style which mixes live action footage with stills photography and CG imagery. Creating an altered, off kilter world that must only exist on the other side of some looking glass. Accompanied by a powerfully poetic narration, sounding like a translation of some ancient prayer-like incantation.

I have an interest in the visuals of religious sculpture from throughout human history, ancient to modern. I’m not religious at all, but I find the imagery from all religions pretty fascinating. Maybe it’s from my graphic design roots, the idea that you can distill a huge concept into an image or an object in such a powerful way. That’s what interest me about idols, statues and carvings. I enjoy the design of mythological concepts, it’s often great character design. But I love the design of fictional mythologies too, in sci-fi / fantasy films and games.

This epic animated film has been anticipated for a couple of years since receiving Jon Yeo’s first trailer, where the film itself has surpassed any expectations we had of it, taking our minds away from the ordinary into the strange and unprecedented.