Permanent Collection

Ivan Miguel & Andy Camou Venture Into the “The Untranslatable Forest”

Posted on Friday, March 27, 2026

After a successful festival run, directors Ivan Miguel and Andy Camou just dropped us their CG short film The Untranslatable Forest, a poetic exploration of language and the fragile connections between culture and nature.

Ivan Miguel and Andy Camou: “What happens when a word cannot be translated? And what is lost when the language that holds it disappears? These questions sit at the heart of The Untranslatable Forest. Released to coincide with the International Day of Multilingualism (March 27th).

“What happens when a word cannot be translated? And what is lost when the language that holds it disappears?”

“The project was created over three years, working remotely evenings and weekends and we did not meet in person until the film’s premiere. That distance became part of the project’s identity, reinforcing its themes of communication across boundaries.

“The film was created using Blender, the open-source 3D platform. Blender’s collaborative ecosystem mirrors the spirit of the project itself. Just as languages evolve through cultural exchange, the software has grown through a global community of artists and developers.

“During production, the death of Cristina Calderón, the last speaker of the Yaghan language [in southern Chile and Argentina], added urgency to the work. With her passing, an entire language ceased to be living, along with the cultural knowledge and worldview it carried.”

Images

A modern, sunlit tunnel with grass and pathways in the center. Bold yellow text reads “GÖKOTTA: Swedish – To rise at dawn in order to go out and listen to the first birds sing.” Inspired by Untranslatable Forest, a short film by Ivan Miguel. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

A luggage scanner displays the X-ray images of a suitcase, grill, and plant on a conveyor belt in a modern, well-lit security checkpoint area, echoing visuals from Ivan Miguel’s short film "Untranslatable Forest. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Tall, illuminated glass pillars stand in a dark, misty room. Large yellow text reads “WALDEINSAMKEIT,” with a subtitle: “GERMAN – The feeling of being alone in the woods.” Inspired by Ivan Miguel’s short film Untranslatable Forest. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

An airport departure board partially covered by green ivy leaves, displaying various flights and their statuses—an image from Ivan Miguel’s short film "Untranslatable Forest," where some city names are obscured by the foliage. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Three ticket kiosks are illuminated as leaves swirl down from three circular ceiling lights. The word Psithurism and its definition glow in yellow on the left, echoing themes from Ivan Miguel's Untranslatable Forest short film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Credits

Director: Ivan Miguel, Andy Camou
Screenplay: Andy Camou, Ivan Miguel
Editor: Ivan Miguel
3D Animator: Andy Camou
Storyboard artist/2D Animator/Compositor: Ivan Miguel

Music: “Le Bois” by Bryce Dessner, performed by Kronos Quartet
Sound Design: Ronroco Audio
Voice-over: Allison Howard, Maria Drangel, Kirsten Schumann, Saori Goda, Artemis Dourou, Marina Nikitina