Time Metallurgist

Tomáš Rampula, Tomas Rampula / Czech Republic / 2024 / The film already had its Czech Premiere / 10 min.

synopsis

Time Metallurgist uses artificial intelligence to work with archival footage and materials from the life of Eadweard Muybridge, seeking to reconstruct pivotal events in late nineteenth-century California and explore their profound influence on the present. Muybridge, renowned for his pioneering photographic studies of motion, arrived in the Wild West at the invitation of Leland Stanford, a visionary behind the transcontinental railroad. This monumental project not only revolutionised transport but also played a central role in the tragic displacement and massacre of Indigenous peoples and the near-extinction of bison. Stanford later founded Stanford University, which became a global centre for advances in cybernetics and artificial intelligence. Through Muybridge’s lens, we are guided through these turbulent, transformative times, revealing deep connections between history, technology, and the world we live in today.

biography

Tomáš Rampula (born 1977) is an artist exploring the intersection of art, technology, and storytelling. After studying architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague, he pursued Screen-Based Arts at the Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem, connecting architecture, sound, and space through video and installation. He continued his studies at FAMU’s Center for Audiovisual Studies, where he earned a master’s degree in 2024. His practice develops a distinctive cinematic language using tools such as game engines, photogrammetry, CGI, and artificial intelligence. His films Místo (2020) and Snowblind (2025) screened at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.