GAIA

Simone Sarantuya’s GAIA is a hypnotic, meditative short that transcends traditional storytelling, offering instead a poetic visual exploration of the Greek mythological figure Gaia, the Earth Mother. Rooted in Hesiod’s Theogony, the film is not merely a retelling, but a sensory experience - one that immerses its viewers in the ancient pulse of a living, breathing Earth.

The cinematography is the film’s strongest language. Each frame, painted with earthy tones and golden natural light, feels sacred. The camera lingers with reverence on forests, soil, and bodies adorned in symbolic gestures - every movement feels ritualistic, almost ancestral. There’s a palpable intimacy between the lens and its subject, thanks to the work of the director of photography, who understands that this story is not about spectacle, but elemental presence.

Sarantuya directs with spiritual clarity and restraint. She leans into the silence, allowing the weight of imagery and ambient soundscapes to carry the narrative. The lighting, largely natural or softly diffused, reinforces the mythological tone - evoking dawns, dusks, and the primal beginnings of creation. The film almost exists in a space between time and myth.

GAIA | FILM POSTER

Director : Simone Sarantuya

Film Duration : 2 : 15 minutes

Genre : Animation

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5)

The cast - minimal, largely non-verbal - delivers with physical performance rather than dialogue. Their movements are ceremonial, with expressions that echo both reverence and vulnerability. This physical storytelling aligns perfectly with the film’s mythic themes and the idea of Gaia not just as a goddess, but as the embodiment of the Earth’s living energy.

What truly elevates GAIA is its refusal to explain. It trusts its viewers to feel, to interpret, and to sense. The film touches not only on Greek mythology, but subtly nods to contemporary neopagan beliefs, positioning Gaia as both ancient origin and enduring force.

Though it may lack a conventional plot, GAIA excels as a mood piece and spiritual reflection. It invites contemplation - about earth, origin, and our connection to both. A stunningly visual and evocative short, Simone Sarantuya’s GAIA is a quiet but potent invocation of the divine feminine in its oldest and most natural form.

Highlight Quote: "GAIA is less a story and more a spiritual invocation - an ode to the primordial rhythm that pulses through earth, myth, and memory."

Simone Sarantuya’s GAIA is a rare cinematic offering that functions not as a linear narrative, but as a visual prayer - an immersive, poetic tribute to the Earth as divine entity. Drawing from the ancient roots of Greek mythology, particularly Hesiod’s Theogony, the film channels Gaia not just as a mythological figure, but as an eternal force - present in soil, breath, wind, and memory.

What distinguishes GAIA is its atmospheric depth. The film unfolds more like a dream than a conventional story. There's no need for dialogue when the visuals are this eloquent. Sarantuya employs a lyrical structure - letting images wash over the viewer with a rhythmic, almost hypnotic cadence. You’re not watching GAIA so much as experiencing it - being pulled into an older, quieter world where the Earth speaks in rustling leaves, shifting shadows, and unspoken rituals.

The camera work deserves special praise. Wide shots are used liberally to establish Gaia’s domain as vast, sacred, and breathing. Close-ups are rare, but when they come - like the dirt caking a palm, or the movement of water over skin - they feel intimate, almost reverent. The pacing is slow and deliberate, reinforcing the film’s elemental core: this is not a world to be rushed, but one to be absorbed.

Sarantuya’s direction shows immense restraint and respect. She resists the temptation to over-explain, over-style, or sensationalize. The film doesn’t try to modernize or rationalize Gaia; instead, it presents her in her pure, untouched form - evoking the belief systems of both ancient Greeks and today’s neopagans, who still revere Gaia as a living spirit or guiding presence.

In essence, GAIA is not about plot, conflict, or resolution. It is about presence. About reconnecting with something vast, feminine, and primal that lies buried beneath the noise of modern life. It’s a film that asks you to slow down, breathe in, and remember.

This is myth-making reimagined - not through grand CGI or epic battles, but through soil, wind, and silence.