The Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers series continued last Monday with a screening of “Light From Light” in the reopened Culp auditorium.
“There were two things that struck me watching the film again last night,” Co-Director of the Film Studies Program Dr. Chelsea Wessels said. “One is the way he emphasizes place – the region of East Tennessee – in the film, in terms of emphasizing the setting and using these recognizable locations.”
The film is shot on location in various areas across Knoxville, Tennessee. “Light From Light” stars Jim Gaffigan and Marin Ireland in a story of love, loss and finding oneself. The film is centered around the haunting of a farmhouse in the Great Smoky Mountains and Appalachian area.
“Interestingly, I thought that what Gloria noted about the accents really worked with this film, because it didn’t feel like it was striving for this image of the area that people might have,” Wessels said. “It felt very rooted in the area.”
The film was written and directed by University of Tennessee-Knoxville Associate Chair of Cinema Studies Paul Harrill.
“I wanted to tell a ghost story that was respectful of the subject and also didn’t choose a side,” Harrill said.
The style of filmmaking Harill implemented was a pivotal factor to create an atmosphere that built connections.
“The other unique thing was the use of framing – the way so many of the interior shots used closed framing and frames within a frame – a doorway, hallway, etc. – to kind of close the various characters off,” Wessels said. “That really resonated with the emotional journey of the film.”
“Light From Light” was a standout film, not only in it’s star power, but it was produced by Elizabeth Moss – star of “Mad Men,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Invisible Man.” “Light From Light” was one of the few narrative films that came to ETSU through the Southern Circuit.
The Southern Circuit concludes on April 13 with “Little Miss Westie” at 7 p.m. in the Culp Auditorium with Joy Reed accompanying the film.
