Relatively unknown in the U.S., Italian Toti first emerged with the formidable SqueeZangeZaum (1988), a "VidéoPoèmeOpéra" dedicated to futurist poet Chlebnikov. The VidéoPoèmeOpéra is a flamboyant, polyglot spectacle, striving toward metaphysical invention. With Planetopolis, Toti takes on the challenge of tracing time itself, from the birth of the universe to a future "beyond the heavens." Prophetic mythologies propel us through a hyperpoetic videospace as we sail from the "anal hole of God" toward a utopia outside of history and its sickly "melancosmia." Along the way, Toti makes detours, visiting among others Dziga Vertov, where we see that time is reversible like a cinema run backwards, the images always returning. Fanciful landscapes, built using advanced video compositing, convey Toti's startling vision. A profuse score of classical and pop music furthers the virtuosity of his synaesthetic endeavors. Like an opera, Planetopolis is "sung" with many voices (and devices) and in many tongues. To aid in its reception, we provide a synopsis, a sketchy map to help you navigate through Toti's "superplanetania."-Tamao Nakahara and Steve Seid