Lonely Men With Power

‘Lonely Men With Power’ is an experimental short film that captures the essence of a fragile and uncertain era. Composed of large format film photographs taken in 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown, the piece embodies the solitude and reflection of a world on pause. 

In an almost empty Los Angeles, I roamed daily, gathering fragments—stones, wilting flowers, bits of earth—as silent companions in a time marked by personal and collective mourning. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and the personal anguish of my father’s cancer diagnosis, photographing became a ritual of preservation. 

Years later, the stillness was revived. Inspired by a recent collaboration with Deafheaven and moved by their rich, emotional instrumentals, I reimagined these analog images using AI—turning static moments into dynamic visuals. The film serves as both a time capsule and a release: a lament for the unknown, and a tender tribute to the beauty found in small, quiet things.

Paul Theodoroff is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer and filmmaker with a profound passion for visual storytelling. His journey began at the age of 15, when stepping onto his first film set sparked a fascination with capturing compelling images. Over the years, that curiosity has transformed into a dynamic career, fueled by his dedication to the craft. Constantly seeking diverse projects and pushing the limits of cinematic techniques, Paul is committed to exploring innovative approaches that bring stories to life in fresh, captivating ways.