Pressure

by Elsa Despoix

I began working on ‘Pressure’ while attending the Future of Survival conference organised by the  Locarno Film Festival and Università della Svizzera italiana. Surrounded by discussions on  sustainability and cinema, I found myself looking down – literally – at the structures and cables  under our feet. As an architect, I became curious about the physical borders and materials that make  such a large event possible, especially in a space that was once swamp and forest. This curiosity led  me to explore how the festival intersects with nature, history, and technology.  

I wanted to document the festival’s infrastructure and the delicate balance between cultural  celebration and environmental impact. My camera naturally gravitated toward the ground: the  seams between building materials, the quiet efforts of tiny insects, and the footprints we leave  behind. ‘Pressure’ is not meant to be a critique or a definitive answer. Instead, it is an invitation to  observe, ask questions, and consider how we might do better – both in Locarno and beyond. By  revealing the festival’s hidden layers, I hope to spark a dialogue about how we can celebrate art  while protecting the environment.  

Author

Elsa Despoix is a masters student at the Accademia di Architettura at the Università della Svizzera italiana and assistant for for the SNSF Project „The Video Essay: Memories, Ecologies, Bodies”.  Her work explores the interplay between architecture and visual media. Her video essay Women in Ecocinema, which was selected for the Schools without Borders program of the Locarno Film Festival in 2023, investigates the boundaries of women’s representation in ecocinema.