Experiencing Interruptions?

The Lighthouse: 6 letters about encounter

“Lighthouse” is a film about an unpredictable and contingent but nevertheless essential event. Several years ago the film's director Lena Skripkina, while a volunteer in a leprosy village in Calcutta, met a Carmelite named Sister Vitalia who worked in the same village. Born in Belarus, she entered the Catholic church and moved to the convent in the south of France. Their correspondence provided the basis for this film. However, “Lighthouse” is not so much a story about a nun and some biographic events as a meditation. It is a careful examination of memories and feelings evolving into reflection on an encounter. Sometimes the encounter is able to transgress the situation it happened in and become a subtle leitmotif of one’s life, sounding beyond mundanity as a lighthouse flickers in diverse spaces of the six film chapters of the film.

  • Lena Skripkina
    Director
  • Lena Skripkina
    Writer
  • Alexander Pisarev
    Writer
  • Lena Skripkina
    Producer
  • Eduard Konovalenko
    Music by
  • Aleksei Arsentyev
    Camera
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Маяк: 6 писем о встрече
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    philosophical fiction, memoir, documentary
  • Runtime:
    40 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Russian Federation
  • Country of Filming:
    Belarus, France, India, Russian Federation
  • Language:
    Russian
  • Shooting Format:
    Various
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:8
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Dvijenie Film Festival
    Omsk
    April 24, 2015
    Rissian Federation Premiere
Director Biography - Lena Skripkina

Education (years of graduation)

2010 – Belinsky Penza State Pedagogic University, History and Filology department;
2013 – Gerasimov All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography, «director of nonfiction film»;
2011 – Academy of Dramatic Arts in Stockholm, study placement
2014 – St Philaret`s Christian Orthodox Institute, religion studies

Filmography

2005 – «Black-and-White Fish» – b&w, documentary, 35mm;
– «St. Ann» Festival, prize for «Poetic implementation of reality in cinema», 2006
– International short movie festival «Future Shots» – htltfst in summer program, 2006
– Prize on Prague Festival «KoloritFest» and an opportunity to participate in international film almanac devoted to russian language culture (organized by EU), 2013
2005 – «Moksha» – documentary, 16 min
– Audience Award on International Film Festival of Gerasimov All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography;
2006 – Videoinstallation for the Prague Franz Kafka Museum – «Letters to Felicia» – 16mm;
2013 – «Deep, very deep» – story film, 26 min.
2013 – «12 Letters for a Friend Who Disappeared» – documentary, feature film, 55 min.
2015 – «Lighthouse. Six Letters about One Encounter» – documentary, 40 min.

Theatre

2011 – participation in theatre almanac «Freedom» as a director of novella;
??? – composer for F. Grigoryan theatre piece «Field», staged in School of Contemporary Play;
??? – participation in «Platforma» festival organized by K. Serebryannikov.

Pitching

2011 – Art-Cinema Festival, Special Jury Award for script of the film «Forest»

Media&Art

2004 – Video-art «Ganges», «Clavecin»
– «Forma» and «Free Time» festivals of contemporary art – participation;
– «Zarya» festival of video-poetry – winner;
2006 – Videoinstallation for the Prague Franz Kafka Museum – «Letters to Felicia» – 16mm;
2015 – «Dakini. Alaya Vijnana Seeds» – photo-installation, WeArt Gallery;
2015 – «Atonal Spheres» - photo and sound installation.

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