Origines, discover the OST.
A Cosmic Exploration Through the Vision of Roman Hill and the Music of Jonathan Fitas
Origines, the new documentary series directed by Roman Hill, is now available on Arte.tv.
Co-produced by Arte and IKO, and narrated by Audrey Stupovski, the series blends scientific insight with large-scale visual poetry. It is written in collaboration with astrophysicist David Elbaz, alongside authors Corentin Duval and Thomas Cadène with a music signed by Jonathan Fitas.
A Contemplative Bridge Between Science and Poetry
Since the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, light has shaped the universe into increasingly complex structures — stars, galaxies, clusters, nebulae, black holes…
Rather than depicting these cosmic phenomena through traditional astrophysical imagery, Origines uses a distinct visual language developed by Roman Hill.
Through macro cinematography, he captures liquids, pigments, chemical reactions and light in motion, evoking the behaviour and transformations of astronomical entities at unimaginable scales.
The result is a hybrid experience: part documentary, part abstract visual meditation, and part immersive art piece. Origines invites viewers to witness the birth and evolution of our universe through the narration of light.
The Music of Jonathan Fitas: A Central Narrative Element
The Original Soundtrack, composed by Jonathan Fitas*, plays a structural role in shaping the emotional and narrative rhythm of the series.
His score navigates between felt piano, soft strings, and expansive electronic textures, crafting a soundscape that mirrors the tension between cosmic violence and delicate emergence.
But beyond instrumentation, the connection between the director and the composer lies in their shared experimental approach.
Just as Roman Hill creates his cosmic imagery through hands-on experimentation with liquids, pigments, chemical reactions and light, Jonathan Fitas develops much of his musical language through sound experiments, integrating field recordings, manipulated textures, and layers of processed audio into his compositions.
This common research-based method is what brought the two artists together — both building worlds from materiality, transformation and chance.
Tracks such as I Am Light, Dawn, and Dying Stars explore neoclassical softness and introspective calm.
Pieces like Oblivion, A New Light, Seed of Life, and Becoming expand into powerful synth-driven landscapes that reflect the immensity of cosmic forces.
Between these extremes, tracks such as In the Deep, Afterlight, and The Long Walk merge harmony and turbulence.
Through this sonic palette — part acoustic, part textural, part experimental — the music becomes an essential storytelling device: not merely accompanying the images, but actively shaping the viewer’s emotional trajectory across the series’ journey through creation, transformation and light.
To accompany the release of the series, the full Origines Original Soundtrack is also now available — an extensive work of 17 carefully arranged pieces, including extended versions designed to let listeners re-experience the series with their eyes closed.
In these longer forms, the score becomes not only a companion to the images, but a standalone immersive journey.
*(sometimes misspelled as Jonathan Fritas in some articles)