Regarded as the first Soviet blockbuster, 1924’s Aelita: Queen of Mars is one of the earliest, and quietly one of the most influential science fiction movies of all time, inspiring movies from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day.
Loosely based on a 1923 novel written by Alexei Tolstoy, the film boasts constructivist sets and extravagant costumes, the latter designed by Cubo-Futurist artist Aleksandra Ekster, a Ukrainian colleague of Pablo Picasso. Firmly part of the dystopian tradition, its twin narratives both express this in different ways - from the disposable working class frozen in gigantic refrigerators on Mars to the parallels with rationing and the struggle to survive in 1920s Russia.
It all begins with a mysterious radio transmission coming down through the airwaves… could it be a signal from outer space?
Costume design for Aelita
The movie is divided into 30 scenes (see below), with each scene allocated to two different artists, for each to compose a piece soundtracking that scene.
The compositions will be arranged into two separate, complete soundtracks, and when presented on Cities and Memory, will randomise between soundtrack 1 and soundtrack 2 for any given scene on each playthrough, giving a total of 900 possible different soundtracks to the film.
Artists will be able to choose the scene from the film they’d like to work with. We will also set up a WhatsApp group (optional) for contributing artists to swap ideas and discuss the soundtrack and creative process as a form of community and support throughout the project.
The project timeline will be as follows:
- Chapter selection by artists: 27-31 July
- Composition deadline: Sunday 1 November (three month composition period)
- Project launch: 5 December
Regarded as the first Soviet blockbuster, 1924’s Aelita: Queen of Mars is one of the earliest, and quietly one of the most influential science fiction movies of all time, inspiring movies from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day.
