Passion Projects — Experimental Short Film
Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground.
Read the feature on cloudappreciationsociety.org →
The Goal
To create an artistic and philosophical short film presenting "cloud spotting" as a meditative tool — advocating for deceleration and the freedom to pause in a hyper-productive, fast-paced society.
“
Great stuff. I'm very pleased to have been a part of this. Congratulations on getting the project done.
With best wishes and thanks again for including us in this. — Gavin Pretor-Pinney, Founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society
The Challenge
Visually elevating the everyday phenomenon of clouds enough to force viewers to pause, while turning the concept of guilt-free stillness into a compelling visual narrative.
Ten months of infrared capture
“
Thank you for trusting me with this. It has been a wonderful journey, from testing niche camera techniques to creating my first short film.
I am incredibly proud of the result. — Joel Tesfai
The Approach
Over 10 months, I captured footage using an infrared camera to reveal the invisible light spectrum and surreal beauty of clouds. In collaboration with Gavin Pretor-Pinney (founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society) and expressive dancer Claudio Hagel, I crafted a piece of visual poetry — contrasting physical motion with philosophical stillness.
“
Very very beautiful! Thank you very much for this suspended moment.
— Philippe Auréglia, Member of the Cloud Appreciation Society
The Result
A meditative film essay that resonated deeply with the international Cloud Appreciation Society, earning a dedicated feature article on their global platform.