Private Project

Tethered to the Ether

“"Love, limbo and magic converge amidst Thomsen’s visual world building" -MinnPost

Released from a mental health facility after recovering from a tragic accident, Tulip Lenoux lives in a purgatorial state between the natural world and dream world. Bound to her dead lover through a suicide pact gone wrong, Tulip’s semi-lucid daily wanderings and mind-bending fever dreams are clouded by trauma, obsession, heartbreak, and unanswered questions regarding the missing body of her lost love. Meanwhile, dark forces are at work when Tulip unwittingly stumbles into the cult-like world of the Roma Key Club and its henchmen, with concurrent storylines of necromancy, supernatural procreation, personal limbo, and practical magic.

"Tethered to the Ether" is assemblage artist and filmmaker Michael Thomsen’s biggest and most intricate work of art yet — a moving collage filled with beautiful blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details, decadent vignettes, handmade props, masks and miniature sets, camera-in-camera Easter eggs and so much more.

Self-funded on a micro-budget and made over the course of 8 years, Thomsen’s psychological arthouse horror film is a highly visual work of art as well as a narrative-driven story, loosely based on Thomsen’s real life experiences as a resident in a mental health facility in the 1980s.

"Tethered to the Ether" spins a dark, mesmerizing tale that’s as psychologically nerve wracking as it is beautifully surreal. Director M. Thomsen’s distinctive style as a Baroque contemporary assemblage sculptor is central to the film’s production design aesthetic, along with dozens of incredible abandoned locations shot guerrilla-style, and a haunting, hypnotic score composed by Thomsen himself, with additional musical interludes by Mike Gunther, Nico V. Isotalo, and Waveless.

Starring Clare Hoogesteger, Mike Gunther, John Tribbett, Nico V. Isotalo, and Martin Stolen.

  • Michael Thomsen
    Director
    Cento (2010)
  • Michael Thomsen
    Writer
    Cento (2010)
  • Kate Iverson
    Producer
  • George Heck
    Producer
  • Carly Besemen
    Producer
  • Clare Hoogesteger
    Key Cast
    "Tulip"
  • Mike Gunther
    Key Cast
    "Felix"
  • John Tribbett
    Key Cast
    "The Thief"
  • Martin Stolen
    Key Cast
    "Marcus"
  • Nico V. Isotalo
    Key Cast
    "Rabbit Girl"
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Feature
  • Genres:
    psychological, horror, science fiction, drama, fantasy, experimental, arthouse, mystery, suspense, thriller
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 42 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Tethered to the Ether Pre-Screening & Art Exhibit
    Minneapolis
    United States
    October 20, 2023
    Local Pre-Screening Event
  • Hallucinea Film Festival
    Paris
    France
    Best Experimental Feature Film
Director Biography - Michael Thomsen

M. Thomsen is an award-winning assemblage sculptor, filmmaker and musician from Minneapolis, MN. His approach to filmmaking closely reflects that of his visual artwork, a beautifully converged narrative of mysterious objects, mood and wonder. Over the past 25 years, Thomsen’s sculpture work has been exhibited locally and nationally. His 2010 short film, Cento was an official selection in the MN Made shorts program at the 2011 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Cento also won "Best Short" at the Highway 61 Film Festival and was a 2011 MNTV Filmmaker Finalist.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Tethered to the Ether is a labor of love, 8 years in the making. My first feature-length film, I self-funded this project along the way, with a micro-budget of less than $5000 and zero outside funding or grant support. I used my creative resources and skills as a long-time assemblage sculptor and woodworker, and my prior experience making the 2010 short, Cento (link to full short in the news section of this page), plus an incredible all-volunteer cast and crew of friends and collaborators that truly believed in my vision. We shot many of the scenes guerrilla-style at dozens of amazing abandoned locations in Minnesota (many of which don't exist anymore). My film is a narrative-driven yet mind-bending visual assemblage filled with props and masks I created, elaborate sets, hand-finished miniature worlds and ornate, vanitas-style vignettes — plus a score that I composed and performed myself, with additional songs from Minnesota-based recording artists. I’m so happy to share all of our work with film community and hope you enjoy.