Origin

With Origin, Yann Arthus-Bertrand takes us on an unprecedented aerial journey above the Venice lagoon, with rare images far removed from the usual tourist clichés. Venice is one of the most photographed places in the world, yet the film captures unseen perspectives of this extraordinary site. The lagoon appears as an almost surreal landscape, where sky and sea merge. Each image is a visual work of art, reflecting a thousand-year relationship between humans and the wild.
Set to enchanting music inspired by the Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi, Origin tells the story of a city built on water — the result of an ancient dialogue between humans and nature. Arthus-Bertrand presents an immersive, delicate work of art, celebrating Venice’s origins and honouring the lagoon as both a protective and fragile territory that must be preserved.

I’ve been fascinated by Venice for over forty years, even dedicating two books to it in the 1980s. A few years later, I filmed the lagoon for Human, and since then I’ve dreamt of devoting a full film to it. When invited to create a short film for the Biennale Architettura 2025, I was overjoyed. It was a chance to make a sensitive, artistic piece where music embraces the beauty of the lagoon. Later, La Biennale di Venezia requested a longer version, and I was thrilled to return. There, I met Giovanni Pellegrini, a passionate Venetian filmmaker. Together, we captured rare images — including a storm over the lagoon, where time seemed to stand still. Thanks to drones, I could show another Venice: more mysterious, wilder, far from postcard views. I wanted to tell the story of its origins — human ingenuity in the face of a hostile environment. This film is my tribute to the lagoon and to those who built Venice.

PRODUCTION:
Hope Production - Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Eric Salemi, Florent Gilard
8 Rue des Bateliers
92110 Clichy, France
Web: https://www.hopeprod.com/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/yannarthusbertrand/;
https://www.instagram.com/hopeproductionfr/?hl=en

WORLD SALES:
Hope Production - Eric Salemi, Florent Gilard
8 Rue des Bateliers
92110 Clichy, France
Web: https://www.hopeprod.com/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/yannarthusbertrand/;
https://www.instagram.com/hopeproductionfr/?hl=en - Instagram

PRESS OFFICE:
Andrea De Marchi - Systema SAS
E-mail: systema@studiosystema.it