Dark Tekhne
Four short films on participatory cinema directed by Roberto Agagliate
An orchestral investigation into the risks and fascinations of technology
Dark Tekhne: Participatory Cinema and the CIPS Grant
The "T.I.C. Toc" project, which gave birth to the Dark Tekhne tetralogy, was developed under the prestigious national CIPS grant (Cinema and Images for Schools), promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education.
This initiative transformed cinema into an active pedagogical tool, involving middle school students in a full professional filmmaking experience. Far from a simple school exercise, this high-profile production explored—through the language of moving images—the "risks and fascinations of new technologies" in the lives of teenagers, focusing on Tekne as a core set of values in the human-technology relationship.
A Network of Institutional Excellence
The project’s impact was amplified by a robust network of partners, including the National Museum of Cinema in Turin and the Film Commission Torino Piemonte.
These collaborations provided a professional framework and a deep territorial connection, with filming taking place in the most evocative locations of Chieri (Turin).
The Tetralogy: Four Visions of the Present
The project is divided into four distinct works, each capable of investigating a specific aspect of our time.
Time Traps (19’ 20”)
A young secret agent from the year 2111 receives instructions for a perilous mission involving time jumps between 1941 and 1971.
Sogno… e son desto (Dreaming, yet awake? 24’ 59”)
A daring teenager secretly buys high-end tech to immerse himself in Internet-driven lucid dreaming, only to find the realm of dreams far more treacherous than promised....
In-Consistency (21’ 33”)
A girl obsessed with her 6,000 social media followers seeks even more, until they decide they no longer accept their role.
Rapaci (Raptors 19’ 30”)
A group of bullies targets a mysterious girl obsessed with the world of sounds and noises, but an unexpected turn puts their fate in her hands.
The Sonic Architecture: The EastWest Universe
To score these visions, I designed a complex hybrid-orchestral soundtrack based almost entirely on the expressive power of EastWest libraries.
The "Sound Blueprint" reveals meticulous timbral craftsmanship: from the cinematic winds of Hollywood Orchestral Woodwinds to the epic brass of Hollywood Fantasy Brass.
Darker, more rarefied atmospheres were achieved using orchestral gongs and distorted, ethereal instruments like the Dist Cello from the Ghostwriter collection. This careful sampling allowed for a seamless transition between dramatic tension and dreamlike suspension.
The Grand Finale: Premiere in Chieri (Turin)
The journey of Dark Tekhne culminated in a packed public screening at the Cinema Splendor in Chieri.
This official event served as a collective ritual, bringing together actors, crew, families, and educators. Seeing months of work on the big screen confirmed the success of a challenge that merged visual art, musical composition, and social commitment.
