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“We dream of travelling through the universe… is the universe, however, not within us? We do not know the depths of our spirit. The mysterious path leads inwards. Eternity, with its worlds of past and future, is in us or nowhere. The outward world is the world of shadow; it throws its shadow into the realm of light. At present, it indeed appears so dark, lonely, formless inside; but how completely different it will seem to us when this eclipse has passed, and the body and shadow have moved away. We will enjoy more than ever, because our spirit has been deprived.” — Novalis, ‘Pollen’ (1798). Translated and adapted from the original German publication, with assistance from W. Hastie’s English translation in ‘Hymns and Thoughts on Religion’ (1888).

Louis Rizzo Naudi is a British-Maltese filmmaker. His practice explores the experience of the sublime and the constructed nature of visual perception, with his camera often focussed on natural phenomena, landscapes, and technology. He holds a B.A. in Film Studies from King’s College London, where he was awarded the Film Studies dissertation prize for his essay on the sublime in footage of the International Space Station, and an M.Sc. in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Oxford, where he researched how sublime experiences may lead to increased prosocial behaviours, such as generosity. His films have screened across Europe, including International Film Festival Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the British Film Institute, and the Tate St. Ives, and have also been used as relaxation aids in hospitals for patients undergoing medical procedures.