Short Film 'Utopia' Explores Imaginary Mausoleum in Le Corbusier's Chandigarh Through Cross-Section Animation

Optical Arts, a London-based creative studio, has produced a short film titled 'Utopia' that depicts a journey through an imaginary mausoleum located in Chandigarh, the modernist city in Northern India designed by Le Corbusier. The film employs a cross-section perspective throughout, following characters as they navigate a complex concrete structure in search of a central tomb. This visual approach draws inspiration from architectural perspective illustrations dating to the Renaissance period, with contemporary examples like the cross-section drawing of the Barbican by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon. The film compresses time as viewers travel through the scene. The building was designed in collaboration with an architect to ensure functionality and incorporates the letter 'U' in its final frame. The project was created using Houdini software with a procedural approach, allowing global control over timing, animation, and lighting, which proved efficient as the geometry underwent frequent changes. The narrative dictated the precise design of the building, with its layout determining the appearance and disappearance of elements, rooms, and characters. Due to the high level of detail, multiple iterations were required to balance complexity with clarity. Various style frames were developed to explore different materials for the structure. The illustrative aesthetic was achieved by combining several passes in compositing. Optical Arts describes its work as experimental and collective, focusing on innovative storytelling techniques across live action, digital, and print media. The film is available for viewing on the studio's website.