A voyage into the far west of Brazil leads to a monumental structure—petrified at the center of the savannah. As construction workers toil beneath the monument, the camera explores the trembling landscape encircling it, unearthing the geological traces of the creation of Brazil’s capital, Brasília.

Circling around a stone edifice, this hypnotic short from Brazilian artist-filmmaker Ana Vaz conjures a sensorial soundscape of manual labor and nature. Juxtaposed with the presence of animals, like little ants building their own nest, the colossal, man-made structure both disturbs and inspires awe.