Above the Clouds

Client

Richard Mille x UAE

Role

Direction, Post-production

A sunrise concert shines above the clouds of Dubai in this project for Richard Mille, celebrating 50 years of the UAE. Set on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab tower, French composer Thomas Roussel directs a 10-piece classical orchestra, performing a song he has written to celebrate this important anniversary. A dizzying spectacle, 60 storeys above sea-level.

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For this project we found ourselves venturing into rarified air – literally and creatively.

The brief was to create a film for Richard Mille saluting 50 years of the UAE, showcasing a bespoke musical composition by renowned French composer Thomas Roussel. In other words, we needed to rise to the occasion.

Our concept imagined Thomas with a 10-piece orchestra performing his piece 60 storeys above the sand on the helipad of Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel.

It would become the highest outdoor orchestral performance ever given.

Technically the production was a steep climb. Not only did our crew have to contend with the elements (high winds, soaring temperatures and burning sun) but logistically our Everest was getting all our equipment, crew and cast up and down from the platform, with just one lift.

There were also political sensitivities and local rules about where we could point the cameras and fly the drones.

Thomas loved our idea, writing a ‘vertigo effect’ into the violin parts of his piece to riff with the proposed drone and dolly camera work, while pacing the music to match the film’s ‘dawn to dusk’ narrative.

The result is a symphony of sights and sounds, standing aloft as one of MilleDollars’ peak productions.