Experiencing Interruptions?

Sapere Aude

A man of science, trapped between the arcane and incomprehensible grief, resorts to unthinkable measures to try to prolong his beloved’s life. In all his heartache, he is devoured by his grief, unwilling to confront the reality of his wife’s condition until it is too late. There is no sense – no moral – in suffering. There is only pain. Hashir dares to discover the truth and faces the consequences.

  • Chadai Chamoun
    Director
  • Chadai Chamoun
    Writer
  • Ellen Lim
    Writer
  • Ellen Lim
    Producer
  • Pablo Bione
    Sound and Music
  • Chris Bione
    Sound and Music
  • Ella Pickles
    2D Animators
  • Brandon Di Prospero
    2D Animators
  • Lachlan Elliott
    2D Animators
  • Lachlan Monaghan
    2D Animators
  • Marianne Bravo
    2D Animators
  • Calvin Lam
    2D Animators
  • Chadai Chamoun
    2D Animators
  • Ellen Lim
    2D Animators
  • Yuuri Fujimura
    2D Animators
  • Cassie Grieves
    2D Animators
  • Kyden Hurst
    2D Animators
  • Tom Tsirogiannis
    3D Animators
  • Tom McDonald
    3D Animators
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 42 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    0 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Swinburne University
Director Biography - Chadai Chamoun

I’m Chadai Chamoun, Director and Head of Story for ‘Sapere Aude’. I’m an artist and 2D animator with a passion for film history and creating compelling characters and worlds. During pre-production, I helped to shape and communicate the vision of the film through storyboards, screenwriting, mood boards, and visual development. During production, I have guided my team towards this shared vision of ‘Sapere Aude’ and contributed to the finished film as one of our Lead 2D animators.

The initial idea for ‘Sapere Aude’ came to me while I was grieving, and I was reminded of how Lovecraft’s protagonists go insane when they are confronted with horrors beyond their comprehension. I hope our film will speak to this incomprehensible feeling that people often encounter when grieving a loved one.

In the future, I hope to make more independent animated films. I have a keen interest in the preservation and exhibition of animation history, and in the practical artistry of animating. I would love to find myself working in a studio which seeks to create animation that makes people feel something, regardless of whether it is for a younger or more adult audience.

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Director Statement

The idea for Sapere Aude came to me after I had learned that my young niece’s cancer had become terminal. From this pain came a comparison between Lovecraft’s cosmic horror and maladaptive grief. In our film, Hashir grapples with the imminent loss of his beloved wife, Aisha – and, like many of us, makes a choice in how to respond to this horrific scenario. Sometimes, as humans, we must confront things for which there is no comfortable or sensible explanation, and we have a choice in how we respond. You can either ignore reality and delude yourself into believing there’s an alternative; or you can accept the truth, however painful that may be. We called the film Sapere Aude, Latin for “dare to know” – in this film, the injunction serves less as a courageous call-to-action, and more of a warning… Do you dare to know?