David Oesch

Story

At a glacier research station brought to a standstill, climate scientist Sasha is sent to investigate the strange behavior of newly drilled ice cores. What she uncovers buried in the ice isn’t just ancient data—but fragments of her own repressed past.

Director's Notes

UNDER THE ICE isn’t about explaining climate change. It’s about mourning it — dragging you through the grief as the planet’s oldest archive dissolves. Science mutates into ritual, data into memory. Inspired by Tarkovsky’s unfinished Akashic Records: , we asked: what if science fiction looked backward? 

Ice cores became our way into deep time — not just geology, but the psyche of a landscape and our inner self. Planetary collapse mirrored with buried personal memory. Our aim was to create a genre sci-fi film that drifts into arthouse, where science and spirit blur.

Behind the scenes

UNDER THE ICE is David Oesch’s Master’s film at the Zurich University of the Arts. The project began when poet and architect Michel Kessler developed the idea during an IN:DÉPENDANCE residency on the Furka Pass, nearly 3,000 meters above sea level.  The screenplay was written by Jonas Stähelin (Dr. in ETH Science History, specializing in 19th-century occultism) inspired and shaped by this unique place. The crew lived in staff accomodation next to the Furkablick Hotel under harsh weather conditions during the shoot.

The international casts consists of Lena Tronina (Happy End, Identification) Cosima Shaw (Dr Who, Jupiter) Alireza Bayram (Homeland, Teheran Tabu) and Michael Neuenschwander (A forgotten Man, Wilder).

Director of Photography Natascha Vavrina and Production Designer Simona Mele co-created the film’s unique visual sci-fi-world. We worked with point-cloud scans (Juliette Martin) from ETH scientists and the fluid effects of Chris Parks (The Tree of Life, The Fountain) — who, by pure coincidence, had previously worked on a project called Akashic Records and was fascinated by the vision. Jakob Eisenbach’s haunting score and mixing blends futuristic textures of on-location recorded meltwater with echoes of ancient Alphorns — binding the film’s science and spirit into one sonic sounding landscape.

CREDITS

Producer Levin Vieth, ZHDK Directors Michel Kessler, David Oesch Screenplay Jonas Stähelin
Cinematography Natascha Vavrina
Production Design Simona Mele
Fluid Effects Chris Parks
Editor Tim Egner Costumes Zoé Brandenberg
Music, Sound Design & Mixing Jakob Eisenbach

First Assistant Director Xheni Alushi
Location Managers Timo Raddatz, Robin Hatting
Gaffer Caspar Borg Best Boy Mischa Müller
Electrician Robin Flügistaller Fabian Genucchi Florin Grimm
First Assistant Camera Line de Kaenel 2nd Assistant Camera Dschamila Hirsiger
Script & DIT June Fierz Steadicam Operator Miro Mennel

Color Grading Lukas Schaller Point-Cloud Animation Juliette Martin
First Assistant Camera Line de Kaenel 2nd Assistant Camera Dschamila Hirsiger
Steadicam Operator Miro Mennel On Set Sound Simon Schmalz, Damiana Rudolphini

Grip Mikael Zwahlen, Vanessa Blättler, Enrique Zalotay
Assistant Production Manager Til Haenni Set Consturctor David Moser
Safety Rigging Timon Heinis Catering Frederike Maas, Romain Iff, Oliver Cretton
Mixing Jakob Eisenbach, Martin Scheuter Foley Artist Ying-Ling Dang
VFX Artists Nevin George, Leo Graf, Lauro Jenni Microscope Artist Manea Aurel-Miron
Furkablick Janis Osolin Title and Graphics Frederik Bauer Poster Damian Shepherd

Scientific Advisors: Margit Schwikowski - Paul Scherrer Institute PSI

Supported by: IN:DÉPENDANCE - an artists residency program curated by Alessia Bertini & David Moser, Chair of Professor Jan de Vylder at ETH Zürich.