Robert Rich & Daniel Colvin Atlas Dei (DVD) DVD / 93 mins

Our journey now takes us to the mountains at night with a statue in the foreground and a lonesome structure, maybe an observatory, on the horizon. The images are coming so fast that it is hard to keep up, every one wonderful both in subject matter and colour. The way we move from one idea to the next is not as simple as fading one out and another in. Instead elements of an image change at different rates whilst other effects twist or rotate over the top. The statue disappears and we look down at the observatory from a higher perspective as the sky lightens. The sun rises, followed by another celestial body causing a whirlpool of cascading light. The images quickly change once more to a misty tree lined lake above which a sort of gyroscope hovers before we move to gently rolling hills. These disappear as we enter more abstract realms of rolling colour, transforming into what could be a basic outline of a face which itself vanishes over a new mountain range. Wispy shimmers are followed by more spheres which hover over an old map of the Earth. We are now taken back to more mountain images but these act more as a wash in the background over which a cosmic scene is superimposed, rays of light emanating from a planet like object. The combination of these scenes is simply exquisite. The cosmic images rotate and the camera pans out to show a picture of the Earth hanging in space but this is no ordinary vision of the planet as along with the oceans and continents are other images, some clear such as trees, others much more abstract. It's a beautiful montage made even more effective by being framed by a backdrop of stars.

The Earth moves away from us and the picture changes to one of another ancient map, this time of the Solar system which fragments and becomes full of movement as the universe rotates on its axis. In contrast we see what could be an explorer suspended in the clouds, Saturn just above his left shoulder. He now stands in isolation on a hilltop with a stylised swirling sun behind him. The various cosmic images from before return in the sky and we get a sort of ancient ghostly portrait looking down on it all. It's all change again as the screen splits showing three different blue circular objects. The images in each panel gradually change to be replaced by a fresh map of the solar system superimposed over a flowing liquid fire. Hypnotic swirls emerge from the centre of the fire which gradually transmute and rigidify into hard granite out of which shines the moon. This granite now morphs into a nebulae type fog which becomes more colourful then returns to rock once more with a lone tree growing from the middle of the image, reaching upwards yggdrasil like. A forest scene is cleverly manipulation so that it develops facial characteristics. Things become rather abstract, wavy effects hinting at the image of an eye. This acts as a portal through which we return to the cosmos, mixing graphical pictures with mesmerizing swirls. Next it's as if we are looking at a city from space, stars rushing towards it. The city becomes the centre of a revolving galaxy. This galaxy is flanked by other images that seem to have nothing in common except subtle but mysterious beauty before returning to a single cosmic scene with inter revolving circles and various other geometric shapes. The stars and planets become fluid, developing milky trails that mix with each other, as ink flowing through gradually rotating water. We go through another portal to the very heart of a nebulae, more geometric shapes providing a transition to completely contrasting images. Nothing is distinct but the feeling to me was of something ancient. Planets momentarily return then dreamily transcend to misty woodland through which more beautiful rotating structures emerge.

The next sequence starts with a desert landscape, a column with a statue on the top protruding to the left. Geometric shapes hover in the air. We look upward into a rather abstract trippy universe, the stone image of a Greek God looking on from the right before our attention returns to the desert below. A bright light shines from the horizon then through subtle changes swirling droplets of water become the main focus. The lovely image of a girl / divine spirit, mentioned earlier, looks on once more as does the Greek God. Things change again as we get a statue of Venus to the left with rotating starbursts to the right. A tornado can be seen over a barren landscape with a radio telescope pointing at the sky to the left. The tornado is replaced by a softer circular image which lands on a sextant type piece of machinery. It touches then transforms the Earth as letters in a multitude of languages fall from the sky. The statue that was first seen in the desert now becomes the centre for a revolving disc. We focus on the statue that now materialises on a rocky pinnacle emerging from the sea accompanied by the same geometric shapes from earlier, before returning to the desert then the stars. Flashing, swirling, circular images pulse away over a backdrop of storm clouds. Venus momentarily reappears as the circular objects become even more aggressive over a backing of blazing white light.

Calmness returns, cosmic images being overlaid with a very complex series of radiating circles. A ring of fire emerges in the middle followed by a blinding flash of light. The background changes but more swirling balls of light dance around the screen before returning to the nebulae. Light pulses transmit the same sort of letters that were seen falling to Earth earlier. Images of the desert, statues and geometric shapes come back to finish another chapter. The next section starts with a sort of drifting smokescreen which gradually dissipates to reveal a mountain range ornamented by another statue. Waves of light surge from the horizon. A tree starts to grow from a mountaintop. The camera pans out and more statues can be seen- all rather gargoyle like. Further pictures are overlaid as if flowers are reaching for the sun. A central light source becomes the sole image and in the centre can be seen a leaf. We are now left to drift in space for a few seconds. A picture of the Earth transmutes into more kaleidoscopic effects. These images morph back and forwards between themselves until we focus with more detail on the Earth, getting so close that a forest emerges over more trippy effects. The ancient statues reappear momentarily as the background changes to grassland, a stylised representation of the Sun hanging in the sky. A really gorgeous colourful abstract picture takes over. The sun returns accompanied by animated raindrops. A separate circular image materialises to the right pulsating away as we get yet more wonderful abstract works of art. Pictures of trees emerge from the centre of the screen but the way they materialise is so organic that the very motion of the image seems just as alive as the subject matter. Colour oozes from the screen like futuristic flowers coming into bloom. The colours mutate into something that looks more like a riverbed. We pan up to see overhanging trees and a beautiful waterfall. The water and flowers combine to create an incredible combined image where each element looses its individual identity creating something new with a life of its own. It's now as if a pebble has been dropped in the water, the images shimmer and soothing circles radiate from the centre. This centre then morphs into a human eye and then angelic face. One half of the head seems to age before rejuvenating once more. A further portrait of an eye materialises to the left. The next image, of a pebbly beach seems in complete contrast.

We look upwards towards the sky and in a circular insert we see a human ear! This morphs into a geometric shape, similar images appearing to the left and right. We return to mountains and gargoyle to finish the section. The mood becomes very tranquil with the reflection of trees in water. The water parts to reveal a sort of mausoleum. Spooky stuff. We travel through a door into a completely structureless void where what seems like many millions of pinpoints and smudges of light drift in layers, one strata moving one way whilst another moves the opposite. Under it all we start to see the trees once more but things are very unclear giving quite an eerie feeling. Gradually what we see changes, becoming more industrial and incredibly complex. Rotating pictures of what look like thousands of metal girders (parts of bridges and towers) weave over and through each other. It's all rather cold and nightmarish. Further images of concrete with strange symbols etched into it take over. This is such a contrast to the more organic feel of the DVD so far. Here everything is harsh and uncompromising. The girders return and their movement is a little disorientating as if we are falling over. Distorted images of buildings are added to the montage and these increase the sense of unease still further. I think the term Video Concrète (as opposed to music concrète ) would be a suitable term to use. Some sort of order starts to appear out of the chaos as the manipulated images start to form into more regular moving patterns. These pictures become increasingly delicate until before we know it the steel has become more like grass. These softer scenes are enhanced by being superimposed over a lake. We pan up toward the clouds, kaleidoscopic effects taking over once more. These subside into soothing washes of colour as we journey to some far horizon.

Clouds emerge then some strange stone structure appears emitting a spiritual light. This slowly floats up to the heavens giving once featureless spheres life. These spheres float amongst a vast array of minute pictures, each too small to make out but it is as if each might contain some vital piece of information, combining together to form the sum knowledge of the universe. Stunningly beautiful stuff. Our journey takes us back to the tree of life reaching up to Heaven. The tree slowly morphs into Venus which then sprouts arms and becomes a woman of flesh and blood, no longer a cold statue. We return to a different statue that I probably should recognise but quite frankly the symbology is getting a little deep for me at this point! The statue changes into a building and as the door is opened things erupt with a quick succession of images from the recent past coming as a sudden memory surge. The world around us starts to spin faster and faster as we finish with a final flash of white light. The next sequence features another montage of disparate images, some abstract, some geometric, others real (eg lamp posts!). They all combine with minute pictures, slowly drifting to the edges to reveal another landscape and another statue. A starburst becomes the central feature with a botanical manual providing backing. The face of a monkey appears through all the flora then morphs into a man. This image is washed away by a synthetic impression of water which itself evolves into more kaleidoscopic geometric shapes. The tree reappears and seems to twinkle with light. This light lifts up from the tree, journeying towards the stormy sky. We return to the trees, now wintry, and another statue (the 'Thinker'?). Venus emerges once more and we look towards the Heavens whilst on Earth more statues sprout amongst the trees. In the distance a volcano erupts. Next, we enter tropical realms before returning to a column-strewn desert, stylised suns and planets traversing across the sky. We get a reprise of some earlier images but combined differently then a picture of a speeded up clock. The face disappears to be replaced by a ball of energy. Next up are images that are fascinating but hard to get any real focus on. The mist momentarily clears and a mosaic seems to appear before once again being obscured. A vast series of 1s and 0s scroll across the screen. These are replaced by images of cloud formations moving across the surface of the planet. We dive down into the clouds, flowers emerging through the vapour. We now see the continents emerging from beneath the clouds before panning out once more to be left with a pure image of the Earth which gently fades into white light and the credits emerge.