Carlos Casas’s ‘Krakatoa’ Redefines Immersive Cinema at Las Palmas Film Festival
Filmmaker Carlos Casas explores the climate crisis through an immersive, sensory-driven cinematic experience in his new project Krakatoa, which utilizes advanced acoustic design to recreate the historic 1883 volcanic eruption.
The premiere of Krakatoa at the 25th Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival signals a major shift for Barcelona-born filmmaker Carlos Casas. Moving away from traditional storytelling, the film offers a fully immersive experience of volcanic activity. The project was developed through the Mecas film market and received funding from the ICAA and the Cabildo de Tenerife.
Rather than a standard documentary, Casas uses light and sound to explore the modern climate crisis. He teamed up with Oscar-winning sound designer Nicolas Becker—known for his work on The Sound of Metal—to recreate the massive 1883 Indonesian eruption through complex acoustic design. The 400,000-euro production also features recent footage of Icelandic eruptions. Because the intense light effects are a key part of the experience, the film includes warnings for photosensitive viewers.
Casas is also challenging how films are shown. A proponent of "expanded cinema," he aims to move beyond standard theater formats. He has previously experimented with vibration systems at the Rotterdam Festival and plans to include live foley effects at the upcoming PlayDoc festival in Galicia. This innovative approach has already earned the film an Audience Award at the Punto de Vista festival in Pamplona, and it is currently being distributed through specialized circuits in Northern Europe.
Krakatoa serves as a form of cultural resistance against passive viewing. It is scheduled for a Spanish release later this year, including a screening at TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes. By using sound as a tool for discovery, Casas reaffirms the importance of the cinema as a space for sensory experience in an era dominated by digital streaming.