diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/__tests__/pathfinder.test.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/__tests__/pathfinder.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40aeef6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/__tests__/pathfinder.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { planCinemaPath } from '../pathfinder';
+import { makeNode, makeEdge, resetNodeCounter } from '../../__tests__/helpers';
+
+describe('planCinemaPath', () => {
+	beforeEach(() => resetNodeCounter());
+
+	it('returns an empty path for no nodes', () => {
+		const path = planCinemaPath([], [], 'missing');
+		expect(path.beats).toEqual([]);
+		expect(path.flowEdges).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	it('starts at the requested center when it exists', () => {
+		const a = makeNode({ id: 'a' });
+		const b = makeNode({ id: 'b' });
+		const path = planCinemaPath([a, b], [makeEdge('a', 'b')], 'a');
+		expect(path.beats[0].nodeId).toBe('a');
+		expect(path.beats[0].kind).toBe('origin');
+		expect(path.beats[0].viaEdge).toBeNull();
+	});
+
+	it('falls back to the most-connected node when center is missing', () => {
+		const hub = makeNode({ id: 'hub' });
+		const x = makeNode({ id: 'x' });
+		const y = makeNode({ id: 'y' });
+		const path = planCinemaPath(
+			[x, hub, y],
+			[makeEdge('hub', 'x'), makeEdge('hub', 'y')],
+			'does-not-exist'
+		);
+		expect(path.beats[0].nodeId).toBe('hub');
+	});
+
+	it('visits the strongest-weighted connection first', () => {
+		const a = makeNode({ id: 'a' });
+		const weak = makeNode({ id: 'weak' });
+		const strong = makeNode({ id: 'strong' });
+		const path = planCinemaPath(
+			[a, weak, strong],
+			[makeEdge('a', 'weak', { weight: 0.1 }), makeEdge('a', 'strong', { weight: 0.9 })],
+			'a'
+		);
+		expect(path.beats[1].nodeId).toBe('strong');
+		expect(path.beats[1].kind).toBe('connection');
+	});
+
+	it('detours through a contradiction edge when reachable', () => {
+		const a = makeNode({ id: 'a' });
+		const normal = makeNode({ id: 'normal' });
+		const conflict = makeNode({ id: 'conflict' });
+		const path = planCinemaPath(
+			[a, normal, conflict],
+			[
+				makeEdge('a', 'normal', { weight: 0.95, type: 'semantic' }),
+				makeEdge('a', 'conflict', { weight: 0.2, type: 'contradiction' }),
+			],
+			'a'
+		);
+		const kinds = path.beats.map((b) => b.kind);
+		expect(kinds).toContain('contradiction');
+		// The contradiction beat carries max intensity.
+		const c = path.beats.find((b) => b.kind === 'contradiction');
+		expect(c?.intensity).toBe(1);
+	});
+
+	it('never exceeds maxBeats and never repeats a node', () => {
+		const nodes = Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, i) => makeNode({ id: `n${i}` }));
+		const edges = nodes.slice(1).map((n) => makeEdge('n0', n.id, { weight: Math.random() }));
+		const path = planCinemaPath(nodes, edges, 'n0', 5);
+		expect(path.beats.length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(5);
+		const ids = path.beats.map((b) => b.nodeId);
+		expect(new Set(ids).size).toBe(ids.length);
+	});
+
+	it('is deterministic — same inputs yield the same path', () => {
+		const nodes = [makeNode({ id: 'a' }), makeNode({ id: 'b' }), makeNode({ id: 'c' })];
+		const edges = [makeEdge('a', 'b', { weight: 0.8 }), makeEdge('b', 'c', { weight: 0.6 })];
+		const p1 = planCinemaPath(nodes, edges, 'a');
+		const p2 = planCinemaPath(nodes, edges, 'a');
+		expect(p1.beats.map((b) => b.nodeId)).toEqual(p2.beats.map((b) => b.nodeId));
+	});
+
+	it('records flowEdges for each traversed connection', () => {
+		const a = makeNode({ id: 'a' });
+		const b = makeNode({ id: 'b' });
+		const path = planCinemaPath([a, b], [makeEdge('a', 'b', { weight: 0.7 })], 'a');
+		expect(path.flowEdges.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1);
+		expect(path.flowEdges[0].source === 'a' || path.flowEdges[0].target === 'a').toBe(true);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75ba56f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/director.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+// Memory Cinema — the camera director.
+//
+// Drives a smooth, cinematic camera flight through a planned CinemaPath. Pure
+// choreography: it mutates a THREE.PerspectiveCamera + an OrbitControls-like
+// target each frame and emits beat-arrival callbacks the narrator + sandbox
+// hook into. It knows nothing about which renderer (WebGL/WebGPU) is on screen,
+// so it works identically for the legacy graph and the WebGPU sandbox.
+//
+// Respects prefers-reduced-motion: when reduced, it JUMP-CUTS between beats
+// (instant position, dwell, advance) instead of flying — captions still fire.
+
+import * as THREE from 'three';
+import type { CinemaPath, CinemaBeat } from './pathfinder';
+
+export interface DirectorCallbacks {
+	/** Fired once when the camera arrives at (or cuts to) a beat. */
+	onBeat?: (beat: CinemaBeat, index: number) => void;
+	/** Fired when the whole tour finishes. */
+	onComplete?: () => void;
+	/** Fired every frame with overall progress 0..1 (for a scrubber/progress bar). */
+	onProgress?: (t: number) => void;
+}
+
+export interface DirectorOptions {
+	/** Seconds of camera flight between consecutive beats. */
+	flightSeconds?: number;
+	/** Seconds the camera dwells on each beat before advancing. */
+	dwellSeconds?: number;
+	/** Stand-off distance from the focused node, in world units. */
+	standoff?: number;
+	/** Instant cuts instead of flights (prefers-reduced-motion). */
+	reducedMotion?: boolean;
+}
+
+type Phase = 'idle' | 'flying' | 'dwelling' | 'done';
+
+const _tmpDir = new THREE.Vector3();
+const _tmpUp = new THREE.Vector3(0, 1, 0);
+
+export class CinemaDirector {
+	private camera: THREE.PerspectiveCamera;
+	private target: THREE.Vector3;
+	private positions: Map<string, THREE.Vector3>;
+	private path: CinemaPath;
+	private cb: DirectorCallbacks;
+	private opts: Required<DirectorOptions>;
+
+	private phase: Phase = 'idle';
+	private beatIndex = 0;
+	private phaseElapsed = 0;
+
+	// Flight interpolation endpoints.
+	private fromPos = new THREE.Vector3();
+	private toPos = new THREE.Vector3();
+	private fromTarget = new THREE.Vector3();
+	private toTarget = new THREE.Vector3();
+
+	constructor(
+		camera: THREE.PerspectiveCamera,
+		target: THREE.Vector3,
+		positions: Map<string, THREE.Vector3>,
+		path: CinemaPath,
+		cb: DirectorCallbacks = {},
+		opts: DirectorOptions = {}
+	) {
+		this.camera = camera;
+		this.target = target;
+		this.positions = positions;
+		this.path = path;
+		this.cb = cb;
+		this.opts = {
+			flightSeconds: opts.flightSeconds ?? 2.4,
+			dwellSeconds: opts.dwellSeconds ?? 3.2,
+			standoff: opts.standoff ?? 26,
+			reducedMotion: opts.reducedMotion ?? false,
+		};
+	}
+
+	get totalBeats(): number {
+		return this.path.beats.length;
+	}
+
+	get isRunning(): boolean {
+		return this.phase !== 'idle' && this.phase !== 'done';
+	}
+
+	/** Begin the tour from the first beat. */
+	start(): void {
+		if (this.path.beats.length === 0) {
+			this.phase = 'done';
+			this.cb.onComplete?.();
+			return;
+		}
+		this.beatIndex = 0;
+		this.beginFlightTo(0);
+	}
+
+	stop(): void {
+		this.phase = 'done';
+	}
+
+	/** Compute the camera stand-off position for a beat's node. */
+	private framePosition(beat: CinemaBeat, out: THREE.Vector3): THREE.Vector3 {
+		const nodePos = this.positions.get(beat.nodeId);
+		if (!nodePos) {
+			// Node has no resolved position yet — keep current framing.
+			return out.copy(this.camera.position);
+		}
+		// Offset back + up from the node along the current view direction so the
+		// node sits centered with a cinematic slightly-above angle.
+		_tmpDir.copy(this.camera.position).sub(nodePos);
+		if (_tmpDir.lengthSq() < 1e-4) _tmpDir.set(0, 0.4, 1);
+		_tmpDir.normalize();
+		// Bias the approach vector upward a touch for a filmic tilt.
+		_tmpDir.addScaledVector(_tmpUp, 0.35).normalize();
+		return out.copy(nodePos).addScaledVector(_tmpDir, this.opts.standoff);
+	}
+
+	private beginFlightTo(index: number): void {
+		const beat = this.path.beats[index];
+		const nodePos = this.positions.get(beat.nodeId);
+
+		this.fromPos.copy(this.camera.position);
+		this.fromTarget.copy(this.target);
+		this.framePosition(beat, this.toPos);
+		this.toTarget.copy(nodePos ?? this.target);
+		this.phaseElapsed = 0;
+
+		if (this.opts.reducedMotion) {
+			// Jump-cut: snap, fire the beat, go straight to dwelling.
+			this.camera.position.copy(this.toPos);
+			this.target.copy(this.toTarget);
+			this.phase = 'dwelling';
+			this.cb.onBeat?.(beat, index);
+		} else {
+			this.phase = 'flying';
+		}
+	}
+
+	/** Advance the choreography. Call once per animation frame with delta seconds. */
+	update(deltaSeconds: number): void {
+		if (this.phase === 'idle' || this.phase === 'done') return;
+		// Clamp dt so a tab-switch stall doesn't teleport the camera.
+		const dt = Math.min(deltaSeconds, 0.05);
+		this.phaseElapsed += dt;
+
+		if (this.phase === 'flying') {
+			const t = Math.min(1, this.phaseElapsed / this.opts.flightSeconds);
+			const e = easeInOutCubic(t);
+			this.camera.position.lerpVectors(this.fromPos, this.toPos, e);
+			this.target.lerpVectors(this.fromTarget, this.toTarget, e);
+			if (t >= 1) {
+				this.phase = 'dwelling';
+				this.phaseElapsed = 0;
+				this.cb.onBeat?.(this.path.beats[this.beatIndex], this.beatIndex);
+			}
+		} else if (this.phase === 'dwelling') {
+			// Gentle drift during the dwell keeps the shot alive (skipped if reduced).
+			if (!this.opts.reducedMotion) {
+				const nodePos = this.positions.get(this.path.beats[this.beatIndex].nodeId);
+				if (nodePos) this.target.lerp(nodePos, 0.02);
+			}
+			if (this.phaseElapsed >= this.opts.dwellSeconds) {
+				const nextIndex = this.beatIndex + 1;
+				if (nextIndex >= this.path.beats.length) {
+					this.phase = 'done';
+					this.cb.onProgress?.(1);
+					this.cb.onComplete?.();
+					return;
+				}
+				this.beatIndex = nextIndex;
+				this.beginFlightTo(nextIndex);
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Overall progress across the whole tour (beat + intra-beat fraction).
+		const per = 1 / this.path.beats.length;
+		const intra =
+			this.phase === 'flying'
+				? Math.min(1, this.phaseElapsed / this.opts.flightSeconds) * 0.5
+				: 0.5 + Math.min(1, this.phaseElapsed / this.opts.dwellSeconds) * 0.5;
+		this.cb.onProgress?.(Math.min(1, this.beatIndex * per + intra * per));
+	}
+}
+
+function easeInOutCubic(t: number): number {
+	return t < 0.5 ? 4 * t * t * t : 1 - Math.pow(-2 * t + 2, 3) / 2;
+}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/narrator.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/narrator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9325cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/narrator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+// Memory Cinema — narration tiers 1 & 2.
+//
+// Tier 1 (premium): a backend LLM endpoint (/api/narrative) authors rich prose
+//   from the planned path. Used only when the backend advertises it.
+// Tier 2 (smart local default): deterministic, structured captions generated
+//   purely from the real node/edge data — no network, no LLM, instant. This is
+//   what the static HN demo and any backend-without-LLM setup uses.
+//
+// Tier 3 (the BFS camera engine in director.ts) always runs underneath; the
+// narrator only decides what TEXT accompanies each beat. If everything here
+// fails, captions fall back to Tier 2, which cannot fail.
+
+import type { CinemaBeat, CinemaPath } from './pathfinder';
+
+export interface BeatNarration {
+	nodeId: string;
+	/** The caption shown + optionally spoken for this beat. */
+	text: string;
+	/** Short label for the beat kind, shown as a chip. */
+	chip: string;
+}
+
+export type NarrationSource = 'backend-llm' | 'local-captions';
+
+export interface CinemaNarration {
+	source: NarrationSource;
+	beats: BeatNarration[];
+}
+
+const KIND_CHIP: Record<CinemaBeat['kind'], string> = {
+	origin: 'Origin',
+	connection: 'Connection',
+	contradiction: 'Tension',
+	recent: 'Now',
+	bridge: 'Jump',
+};
+
+function snippet(content: string, max = 90): string {
+	const s = (content ?? '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
+	if (s.length <= max) return s;
+	return s.slice(0, max - 1).trimEnd() + '…';
+}
+
+function typeLabel(nodeType: string): string {
+	const t = (nodeType ?? 'memory').toLowerCase();
+	return t.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + t.slice(1);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tier 2 — deterministic structured captions from real data only.
+ * Never throws; always returns a caption per beat.
+ */
+export function localCaptions(path: CinemaPath): CinemaNarration {
+	const beats: BeatNarration[] = path.beats.map((beat, i) => {
+		const n = beat.node;
+		const what = snippet(n.label || `(${typeLabel(n.type)} memory)`);
+		let text: string;
+		switch (beat.kind) {
+			case 'origin':
+				text = `We begin at a ${typeLabel(n.type).toLowerCase()} the graph is centered on — "${what}".`;
+				break;
+			case 'contradiction': {
+				const via = beat.viaEdge?.type ? beat.viaEdge.type.replace(/_/g, ' ') : 'a conflict';
+				text = `This is held in tension with the last memory through ${via}: "${what}".`;
+				break;
+			}
+			case 'recent':
+				text = `And where the mind is now — a recent memory: "${what}".`;
+				break;
+			case 'bridge':
+				text = `Crossing to a separate cluster — "${what}".`;
+				break;
+			default: {
+				const w = beat.viaEdge?.weight ?? 0;
+				const strength = w > 0.66 ? 'strongly' : w > 0.33 ? 'closely' : 'loosely';
+				text = `${strength} connected from there: a ${typeLabel(n.type).toLowerCase()} — "${what}".`;
+			}
+		}
+		// Tags add texture when present.
+		if (n.tags && n.tags.length > 0 && i > 0) {
+			text += ` [${n.tags.slice(0, 3).join(', ')}]`;
+		}
+		return { nodeId: beat.nodeId, text, chip: KIND_CHIP[beat.kind] };
+	});
+	return { source: 'local-captions', beats };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the best available narration for a path.
+ *
+ * @param fetchBackend optional async fn that returns backend-LLM narration
+ *   beats (Tier 1). If it's absent, rejects, times out, or returns a mismatched
+ *   shape, we silently fall back to Tier 2 local captions. The caller passes
+ *   this only when the backend has advertised /api/narrative support.
+ */
+export async function resolveNarration(
+	path: CinemaPath,
+	fetchBackend?: () => Promise<BeatNarration[] | null>
+): Promise<CinemaNarration> {
+	const fallback = localCaptions(path);
+	if (!fetchBackend) return fallback;
+
+	try {
+		const withTimeout = Promise.race([
+			fetchBackend(),
+			new Promise<null>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve(null), 6000)),
+		]);
+		const backend = await withTimeout;
+		if (!Array.isArray(backend) || backend.length === 0) return fallback;
+
+		// Align backend beats to the real path by nodeId; fill any gaps from
+		// local captions so every beat always has text (never a blank shot).
+		const byNode = new Map(backend.map((b) => [b.nodeId, b]));
+		const beats: BeatNarration[] = path.beats.map((beat, i) => {
+			const hit = byNode.get(beat.nodeId);
+			if (hit && typeof hit.text === 'string' && hit.text.trim()) {
+				return { nodeId: beat.nodeId, text: hit.text, chip: hit.chip || KIND_CHIP[beat.kind] };
+			}
+			return fallback.beats[i];
+		});
+		return { source: 'backend-llm', beats };
+	} catch {
+		return fallback;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/pathfinder.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/pathfinder.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76f27d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/pathfinder.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+// Memory Cinema — Tier 3: the bulletproof pathfinder.
+//
+// Plans a cinematic tour through the REAL memory graph using nothing but the
+// nodes + edges the backend already returns. This is the deterministic engine
+// that ALWAYS drives the camera, regardless of which narration tier (backend
+// LLM / local captions / none) is active. No WebGPU, no network, no LLM — if
+// everything else fails, this still produces a coherent, watchable flythrough.
+//
+// The path is intentionally a STORY, not a raw BFS dump:
+//   1. start at the center (the memory the graph is focused on)
+//   2. visit its strongest-weighted connections (what it's most tied to)
+//   3. detour to a contradiction edge if one exists (tension = interesting)
+//   4. end on a recently-created node (where the mind is now)
+// Falling back to plain weighted BFS when those signals are absent.
+
+import type { GraphNode, GraphEdge } from '$types';
+
+export interface CinemaBeat {
+	/** Node this beat centers the camera on. */
+	nodeId: string;
+	/** The node payload, for the narrator + visuals. */
+	node: GraphNode;
+	/** Edge traversed to arrive here (null for the opening beat). */
+	viaEdge: GraphEdge | null;
+	/** Why this beat exists — drives the deterministic caption + visual emphasis. */
+	kind: 'origin' | 'connection' | 'contradiction' | 'recent' | 'bridge';
+	/** 0..1 emphasis used by the sandbox to spike emissive/bloom on arrival. */
+	intensity: number;
+}
+
+export interface CinemaPath {
+	beats: CinemaBeat[];
+	centerId: string;
+	/** Edges that should visibly "flow" during the tour, in beat order. */
+	flowEdges: GraphEdge[];
+}
+
+interface Adjacency {
+	[nodeId: string]: { edge: GraphEdge; otherId: string }[];
+}
+
+function buildAdjacency(edges: GraphEdge[]): Adjacency {
+	const adj: Adjacency = {};
+	for (const edge of edges) {
+		(adj[edge.source] ??= []).push({ edge, otherId: edge.target });
+		(adj[edge.target] ??= []).push({ edge, otherId: edge.source });
+	}
+	// Strongest connections first so the tour visits the most meaningful ties.
+	for (const id of Object.keys(adj)) {
+		adj[id].sort((a, b) => (b.edge.weight ?? 0) - (a.edge.weight ?? 0));
+	}
+	return adj;
+}
+
+function isContradictionEdge(edge: GraphEdge): boolean {
+	const t = (edge.type ?? '').toLowerCase();
+	return t.includes('contradict') || t.includes('conflict') || t.includes('supersede');
+}
+
+function recencyOf(node: GraphNode): number {
+	// Larger = more recent. Tolerates missing/invalid timestamps.
+	const t = Date.parse(node.updatedAt || node.createdAt || '');
+	return Number.isFinite(t) ? t : 0;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Plan a cinematic path over the real graph.
+ *
+ * @param maxBeats hard cap on tour length (keeps the flythrough watchable).
+ * Deterministic: same inputs always yield the same path (no randomness), so the
+ * recorded launch GIF is reproducible.
+ */
+export function planCinemaPath(
+	nodes: GraphNode[],
+	edges: GraphEdge[],
+	centerId: string,
+	maxBeats = 7
+): CinemaPath {
+	const byId = new Map(nodes.map((n) => [n.id, n]));
+	const empty: CinemaPath = { beats: [], centerId, flowEdges: [] };
+	if (nodes.length === 0) return empty;
+
+	// Resolve a real starting node: prefer centerId, else the explicit center
+	// flag, else the most-connected node, else the first node.
+	const adj = buildAdjacency(edges);
+	let startId = byId.has(centerId) ? centerId : '';
+	if (!startId) startId = nodes.find((n) => (n as { isCenter?: boolean }).isCenter)?.id ?? '';
+	if (!startId) {
+		startId = nodes
+			.map((n) => ({ id: n.id, deg: adj[n.id]?.length ?? 0 }))
+			.sort((a, b) => b.deg - a.deg)[0].id;
+	}
+	const start = byId.get(startId);
+	if (!start) return empty;
+
+	const visited = new Set<string>([startId]);
+	const beats: CinemaBeat[] = [
+		{ nodeId: startId, node: start, viaEdge: null, kind: 'origin', intensity: 1 },
+	];
+	const flowEdges: GraphEdge[] = [];
+
+	// Greedy weighted walk: from the current frontier, step to the strongest
+	// unvisited neighbour, with a one-time detour to a contradiction if reachable.
+	let current = startId;
+	let contradictionUsed = false;
+
+	while (beats.length < maxBeats) {
+		const neighbours = adj[current] ?? [];
+
+		// Prefer an unused contradiction edge once — tension makes a better story.
+		let next: { edge: GraphEdge; otherId: string } | undefined;
+		if (!contradictionUsed) {
+			next = neighbours.find((n) => !visited.has(n.otherId) && isContradictionEdge(n.edge));
+			if (next) contradictionUsed = true;
+		}
+		// Otherwise the strongest unvisited tie.
+		if (!next) next = neighbours.find((n) => !visited.has(n.otherId));
+
+		// Dead end: hop to the most recent unvisited node anywhere (a "bridge"
+		// cut) so the tour can keep going instead of stalling.
+		if (!next) {
+			const remaining = nodes
+				.filter((n) => !visited.has(n.id))
+				.sort((a, b) => recencyOf(b) - recencyOf(a));
+			if (remaining.length === 0) break;
+			const node = remaining[0];
+			visited.add(node.id);
+			beats.push({ nodeId: node.id, node, viaEdge: null, kind: 'bridge', intensity: 0.6 });
+			current = node.id;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		const node = byId.get(next.otherId);
+		if (!node) {
+			visited.add(next.otherId);
+			continue;
+		}
+		visited.add(node.id);
+		flowEdges.push(next.edge);
+		beats.push({
+			nodeId: node.id,
+			node,
+			viaEdge: next.edge,
+			kind: isContradictionEdge(next.edge) ? 'contradiction' : 'connection',
+			intensity: isContradictionEdge(next.edge) ? 1 : Math.min(1, 0.55 + (next.edge.weight ?? 0) * 0.45),
+		});
+		current = node.id;
+	}
+
+	// Closing beat: end on the single most-recent node not already the finale,
+	// so the tour lands on "where the memory is now". Only if it adds variety.
+	if (beats.length < maxBeats) {
+		const last = beats[beats.length - 1].nodeId;
+		const recent = nodes
+			.filter((n) => n.id !== last)
+			.sort((a, b) => recencyOf(b) - recencyOf(a))[0];
+		if (recent && !beats.some((b) => b.nodeId === recent.id)) {
+			beats.push({ nodeId: recent.id, node: recent, viaEdge: null, kind: 'recent', intensity: 0.8 });
+		}
+	}
+
+	return { beats, centerId: startId, flowEdges };
+}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2243898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/sandbox.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+// Memory Cinema — the isolated WebGPU sandbox.
+//
+// Boots a SEPARATE WebGPU canvas + scene on Cinema launch. The legacy WebGL
+// graph (nebula, grain, every current user's experience) is never touched —
+// zero regression by construction. Inside the sandbox: the SemanticComputeStorm
+// + selective MRT emissive bloom, driven by the CinemaDirector's beats.
+//
+// Everything here is dynamically imported (three/webgpu, three/tsl, storm.ts)
+// so the heavy WebGPU bundle stays out of the main app. If WebGPU is
+// unavailable, isSupported() returns false and the caller falls back to the
+// camera-only flythrough on the existing canvas (captions still play).
+
+import * as THREE from 'three';
+import type { SemanticRole, SemanticComputeStorm } from './storm';
+
+export function isWebGPUSupported(): boolean {
+	return typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && 'gpu' in navigator;
+}
+
+interface SandboxDeps {
+	WebGPURenderer: new (params: object) => {
+		init: () => Promise<void>;
+		setSize: (w: number, h: number) => void;
+		setPixelRatio: (r: number) => void;
+		renderAsync: (scene: THREE.Scene, camera: THREE.Camera) => Promise<void>;
+		computeAsync: (node: unknown) => Promise<void>;
+		domElement: HTMLCanvasElement;
+		dispose?: () => void;
+	};
+	PostProcessing: new (renderer: unknown) => { renderAsync: () => Promise<void>; outputNode: unknown };
+	StormCtor: typeof SemanticComputeStorm;
+	tsl: typeof import('three/tsl');
+	bloomMod: { bloom: (node: unknown, strength?: number, radius?: number, threshold?: number) => unknown };
+}
+
+export class CinemaSandbox {
+	private container: HTMLElement;
+	private deps!: SandboxDeps;
+	private renderer!: SandboxDeps['WebGPURenderer']['prototype'];
+	private scene = new THREE.Scene();
+	private camera: THREE.PerspectiveCamera;
+	private storm!: SemanticComputeStorm;
+	private post: { renderAsync: () => Promise<void> } | null = null;
+	private booted = false;
+
+	/** Camera target the director drives; mirrored into camera.lookAt each frame. */
+	readonly target = new THREE.Vector3(0, 0, 0);
+
+	constructor(container: HTMLElement) {
+		this.container = container;
+		this.camera = new THREE.PerspectiveCamera(
+			60,
+			container.clientWidth / Math.max(1, container.clientHeight),
+			0.1,
+			2000
+		);
+		this.camera.position.set(0, 18, 60);
+		this.scene.background = new THREE.Color(0x02020a);
+	}
+
+	get cameraRef(): THREE.PerspectiveCamera {
+		return this.camera;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Boot the WebGPU pipeline. Throws if WebGPU is unsupported or init fails —
+	 * the caller treats a throw as "fall back to camera-only mode".
+	 */
+	async boot(): Promise<void> {
+		if (this.booted) return;
+		if (!isWebGPUSupported()) throw new Error('WebGPU not supported');
+
+		// Dynamic imports keep three/webgpu out of the main bundle.
+		const webgpu = (await import('three/webgpu')) as unknown as {
+			WebGPURenderer: SandboxDeps['WebGPURenderer'];
+			PostProcessing: SandboxDeps['PostProcessing'];
+		};
+		const tsl = (await import('three/tsl')) as typeof import('three/tsl');
+		// bloom() lives in the TSL display helpers; import the node module.
+		const bloomMod = (await import(
+			'three/examples/jsm/tsl/display/BloomNode.js'
+		)) as unknown as SandboxDeps['bloomMod'];
+		const { SemanticComputeStorm } = await import('./storm');
+
+		this.deps = {
+			WebGPURenderer: webgpu.WebGPURenderer,
+			PostProcessing: webgpu.PostProcessing,
+			StormCtor: SemanticComputeStorm,
+			tsl,
+			bloomMod,
+		};
+
+		const renderer = new this.deps.WebGPURenderer({ antialias: true, alpha: false });
+		renderer.setPixelRatio(Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio, 2));
+		renderer.setSize(this.container.clientWidth, this.container.clientHeight);
+		// CRITICAL FOOTGUN: WebGPU init is async. Must await before first render
+		// or the canvas silently draws nothing.
+		await renderer.init();
+		this.container.appendChild(renderer.domElement);
+		this.renderer = renderer;
+
+		// The compute storm (150k GPU particles).
+		this.storm = new this.deps.StormCtor(renderer, this.scene, {});
+
+		// Selective MRT bloom: scene pass emits an emissive MRT; bloom only the
+		// emissive channel so the storm blazes against the void without washing
+		// the whole frame to grey. Falls back to a plain pass if MRT setup
+		// throws on a given driver.
+		try {
+			const { pass, mrt, output, emissive } = this.deps.tsl as unknown as {
+				pass: (s: THREE.Scene, c: THREE.Camera) => {
+					setMRT: (m: unknown) => void;
+					getTextureNode: (name: string) => unknown;
+				};
+				mrt: (cfg: Record<string, unknown>) => unknown;
+				output: unknown;
+				emissive: unknown;
+			};
+			const scenePass = pass(this.scene, this.camera);
+			scenePass.setMRT(mrt({ output, emissive }));
+			const outputTex = scenePass.getTextureNode('output');
+			const emissiveTex = scenePass.getTextureNode('emissive');
+			const bloomed = this.deps.bloomMod.bloom(emissiveTex, 1.1, 0.6, 0.0);
+			const post = new this.deps.PostProcessing(renderer);
+			(post as unknown as { outputNode: unknown }).outputNode = (
+				outputTex as { add: (n: unknown) => unknown }
+			).add(bloomed);
+			this.post = post as unknown as { renderAsync: () => Promise<void> };
+		} catch (e) {
+			// MRT/bloom unavailable on this driver — render straight, no crash.
+			console.warn('[cinema] selective bloom unavailable, rendering without MRT:', e);
+			this.post = null;
+		}
+
+		this.booted = true;
+	}
+
+	/** Retarget the storm + look the camera at the beat (called by the director). */
+	transitionTo(role: SemanticRole, worldPos: THREE.Vector3): void {
+		if (!this.booted) return;
+		this.storm.transitionTo(role, worldPos);
+	}
+
+	/** Render one frame. Camera is driven externally (director mutates position/target). */
+	async render(deltaSeconds: number): Promise<void> {
+		if (!this.booted) return;
+		this.camera.lookAt(this.target);
+		await this.storm.update(deltaSeconds);
+		if (this.post) await this.post.renderAsync();
+		else await this.renderer.renderAsync(this.scene, this.camera);
+	}
+
+	resize(): void {
+		if (!this.booted) return;
+		const w = this.container.clientWidth;
+		const h = this.container.clientHeight;
+		this.camera.aspect = w / Math.max(1, h);
+		this.camera.updateProjectionMatrix();
+		this.renderer.setSize(w, h);
+	}
+
+	dispose(): void {
+		if (!this.booted) return;
+		this.storm?.dispose();
+		this.renderer?.dispose?.();
+		if (this.renderer?.domElement?.parentNode) {
+			this.renderer.domElement.parentNode.removeChild(this.renderer.domElement);
+		}
+		this.booted = false;
+	}
+}
diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/storm.ts b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/storm.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7e6ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/lib/graph/cinema/storm.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+// Memory Cinema — the Semantic Compute Storm (WebGPU / TSL GPGPU).
+//
+// 150k particles whose physics run ENTIRELY on the GPU via Three Shading
+// Language compute nodes. The storm shifts behaviour with the narrative beat:
+//   - origin/anchor  → stable orbital swarm around the focused node
+//   - connection     → fluid streaming toward the target with wave motion
+//   - contradiction  → explosive Rössler strange-attractor chaos (crimson)
+// Emissive colour is routed so only the storm blazes through the selective
+// MRT bloom pass against a clean void.
+//
+// IMPORTANT — verified against the INSTALLED three@0.172 three/tsl build:
+//   * use select() (NOT cond — does not exist in this build)
+//   * use TSL sin()/cos() (NOT Math.sin inside Fn)
+//   * SpriteNodeMaterial (NOT SpritePointsMaterial)
+//   * renderer.computeAsync() for the dispatch
+// The whole module is dynamically imported only when Cinema launches, so the
+// heavy three/webgpu + three/tsl bundles never load for normal dashboard use.
+//
+// This file is intentionally framework-agnostic and uses `any` for the WebGPU
+// renderer type: three/webgpu's WebGPURenderer is a runtime-only dynamic import
+// (kept out of the main bundle), so a compile-time type isn't available here.
+
+import * as THREE from 'three';
+// StorageBufferAttribute + SpriteNodeMaterial live in the three/webgpu entry,
+// not the base three module. This file is dynamically imported only at Cinema
+// launch, so pulling from three/webgpu here does NOT add WebGPU to the main
+// bundle.
+import { StorageBufferAttribute, SpriteNodeMaterial } from 'three/webgpu';
+import {
+	Fn,
+	storage,
+	instanceIndex,
+	vec3,
+	uniform,
+	select,
+	float,
+	sin,
+	cos,
+} from 'three/tsl';
+
+export type SemanticRole = 'anchor' | 'connection' | 'contradiction';
+
+const ROLE_MODE: Record<SemanticRole, number> = {
+	anchor: 0,
+	connection: 1,
+	contradiction: 2,
+};
+
+export interface StormOptions {
+	count?: number;
+	/** World-space radius of the initial particle cloud. */
+	spawnRadius?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * GPU compute particle storm. Construct with a WebGPURenderer + Scene, call
+ * update(dt) each frame, and transitionTo(role, worldPos) on each narrative
+ * beat. dispose() releases all GPU resources.
+ */
+export class SemanticComputeStorm {
+	readonly count: number;
+	private scene: THREE.Scene;
+	// WebGPURenderer — runtime-only type (dynamic import); see file header.
+	private renderer: { computeAsync: (node: unknown) => Promise<void> };
+
+	private bufferPos: StorageBufferAttribute;
+	private bufferVel: StorageBufferAttribute;
+	private bufferPhase: StorageBufferAttribute;
+
+	private computeNode: unknown;
+	private mesh!: THREE.Object3D;
+	private material!: THREE.Material;
+
+	// Uniforms driven from the camera/beat loop.
+	private uTarget = uniform(new THREE.Vector3(0, 0, 0));
+	private uTime = uniform(0);
+	private uIgnition = uniform(0);
+	private uMode = uniform(0);
+
+	constructor(
+		renderer: { computeAsync: (node: unknown) => Promise<void> },
+		scene: THREE.Scene,
+		opts: StormOptions = {}
+	) {
+		this.renderer = renderer;
+		this.scene = scene;
+		this.count = opts.count ?? 150_000;
+		const spawn = opts.spawnRadius ?? 15;
+
+		const positions = new Float32Array(this.count * 3);
+		const velocities = new Float32Array(this.count * 3);
+		const phases = new Float32Array(this.count);
+		for (let i = 0; i < this.count; i++) {
+			positions[i * 3] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * spawn;
+			positions[i * 3 + 1] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * spawn;
+			positions[i * 3 + 2] = (Math.random() - 0.5) * spawn;
+			phases[i] = Math.random() * Math.PI * 2;
+		}
+		this.bufferPos = new StorageBufferAttribute(positions, 3);
+		this.bufferVel = new StorageBufferAttribute(velocities, 3);
+		this.bufferPhase = new StorageBufferAttribute(phases, 1);
+
+		this.buildCompute();
+		this.buildRender();
+	}
+
+	private buildCompute(): void {
+		const posStore = storage(this.bufferPos, 'vec3', this.count);
+		const velStore = storage(this.bufferVel, 'vec3', this.count);
+		const phaseStore = storage(this.bufferPhase, 'float', this.count);
+
+		this.computeNode = Fn(() => {
+			const pos = posStore.element(instanceIndex);
+			const vel = velStore.element(instanceIndex);
+			const phase = phaseStore.element(instanceIndex);
+
+			const toTarget = vec3(this.uTarget).sub(pos);
+
+			// Mode 0 — Anchor: orbital swirl (tangential velocity around target).
+			const orbital = vec3(toTarget.z, float(0), toTarget.x.negate())
+				.normalize()
+				.mul(0.05);
+
+			// Mode 1 — Connection: stream toward target + per-particle wave.
+			const wave = vec3(
+				sin(this.uTime.add(phase)).mul(0.02),
+				cos(this.uTime.add(phase)).mul(0.02),
+				sin(this.uTime.mul(1.5).add(phase)).mul(0.02)
+			);
+			const stream = toTarget.normalize().mul(0.08).add(wave);
+
+			// Mode 2 — Contradiction: Rössler strange-attractor chaos.
+			const dt = float(0.01);
+			const dx = vel.y.negate().sub(vel.z).mul(dt);
+			const dy = vel.x.add(vel.y.mul(0.2)).mul(dt);
+			const dz = float(0.2).add(vel.z.mul(vel.x.sub(5.7))).mul(dt);
+			const chaos = vec3(dx, dy, dz).mul(2.0);
+
+			// Runtime mode selection (select(), not cond()).
+			const active = select(
+				this.uMode.equal(0),
+				orbital,
+				select(this.uMode.equal(1), stream, chaos)
+			);
+
+			vel.addAssign(active);
+			// Ignition shockwave yanks particles toward the new node on each beat.
+			vel.addAssign(toTarget.normalize().mul(this.uIgnition.mul(0.02)));
+			pos.addAssign(vel);
+			vel.mulAssign(0.95);
+		})().compute(this.count);
+	}
+
+	private buildRender(): void {
+		// SpriteNodeMaterial: emissive routed to bloom; additive against the void.
+		const mat = new SpriteNodeMaterial({
+			transparent: true,
+			blending: THREE.AdditiveBlending,
+			depthWrite: false,
+		}) as SpriteNodeMaterial & { positionNode: unknown; colorNode: unknown };
+
+		mat.positionNode = storage(this.bufferPos, 'vec3', this.count).element(instanceIndex);
+
+		mat.colorNode = Fn(() => {
+			const anchor = vec3(0.0, 1.0, 0.85); // luminescent cyan
+			const link = vec3(0.2, 0.4, 1.0); // electric royal blue
+			const contradiction = vec3(1.0, 0.1, 0.3); // crimson neon
+			const base = select(
+				this.uMode.equal(0),
+				anchor,
+				select(this.uMode.equal(1), link, contradiction)
+			);
+			// Brighten on ignition so the beat blazes through the bloom pass.
+			return base.mul(this.uIgnition.mul(3.0).add(0.4));
+		})();
+
+		// One instanced sprite per particle; positions come from the GPU storage
+		// buffer via positionNode, so the geometry is a single unit quad and the
+		// instance count is the particle count.
+		const geometry = new THREE.PlaneGeometry(0.18, 0.18);
+		const mesh = new THREE.InstancedMesh(geometry, mat as unknown as THREE.Material, this.count);
+		mesh.frustumCulled = false;
+		this.material = mat;
+		this.mesh = mesh;
+		this.scene.add(this.mesh);
+	}
+
+	/** Advance the GPU physics one frame. */
+	async update(deltaSeconds: number): Promise<void> {
+		this.uTime.value += deltaSeconds;
+		if (this.uIgnition.value > 0) {
+			this.uIgnition.value = Math.max(0, this.uIgnition.value - deltaSeconds * 2.0);
+		}
+		await this.renderer.computeAsync(this.computeNode);
+	}
+
+	/** Fired on each narrative beat: retarget the storm + spike ignition. */
+	transitionTo(role: SemanticRole, worldPos: THREE.Vector3): void {
+		this.uTarget.value.copy(worldPos);
+		this.uMode.value = ROLE_MODE[role] ?? 1;
+		this.uIgnition.value = 8.0;
+	}
+
+	dispose(): void {
+		this.scene.remove(this.mesh);
+		(this.mesh as THREE.InstancedMesh).geometry?.dispose();
+		this.material?.dispose();
+	}
+}