How, knowing that even the universe is dying, do we bear our lives? The finitude and yet vastness of both our deeds and the cosmos through a fleeting moment of contemplation.

“But We Had Music” is a poem written by Maria Popova, performed here by Nick Cave and transformed into animation by Daniel Bruson, using charcoal drawings, light caustics and optical distortions with glass. The film was made as part of the seventh annual Universe in Verse — a many-hearted labor of love, celebrating the wonder of reality through science and poetry, that took place on April 7th, 2024, on the eve of a total solar eclipse.

More information on The Marginalian: themarginalian.org/2024/04/06/but-we-had-music/?mc_cid=4012e1f8d6&mc_eid=dee49e1ab2

Created for The Universe in Verse: theuniverseinverse.org

Poem by Maria Popova
Reading by Nick Cave
Animation and Direction by Daniel Bruson
Music by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Voice edit by Pêu Ribeiro

Created for The Universe In Verse, a project by Maria Popova.