Northern Lights

• Main Author: Pogrebnyak, Yulia
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: fi=Media-ala|sv=Mediebranschen|en=Media|; creative writing; performing arts; artists; films; Master’s Degree in Screenwriting; sami; Lapland
• Online Access: http://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/782223

LOGLINE: Having burned the bridges behind her back, an exiled artist deals with a creative crisis by burning her art down. SYNOPSIS: Belarus. August 2020. The third day of the biggest pro-democratic protests and everything seems possible. Even long-awaited freedom. Lesya Kiseleva, an unknown performance artist yearning for fame and connection to a big audience, lies on the asphalt and films an enormous flag, carried over her head by hundreds of people. It makes her head spin. Political disturbance becomes a long-searched source of inspiration for Lesya's art, which instantly turns her into an icon of the protests. Finally able to express herself and inspired by success, she starts a love affair with her gallerist Yan. However, under the brutal suppression of the protests, the police attacked Lesya’s performance in Yan’s gallery. While the audience and Yan are beaten up and arrested, Lesya manages to escape capture. She flees to Finland to save her artistic and personal freedom and quickly gains there her desired recognition. While everything appears to be fine, Lesya is worried sick about Yan, who seems distant as he hides from Lesya what exactly he suffered in prison. Meanwhile, fame grows, and the audience adores Lesya. But Lesya is not satisfied. By deny-ing the trauma caused by the police assault and pandering to an audience that sees her only as a political exile, Lesya loses the meaning of her art and ability to create. Unable to suppress rage Lesya fucks up any possible relationships and career. She escapes to an art residence in Lapland led by a Sami artist Tuula Tam-minen, whose delicate and understanding care is still unable to help Lesya. Hoping to cure this deep creative crisis with love, Lesya finally manages to get Yan out of Belarus and literally faces the consequences of her escape. Locked with Yan in a remote residence, Lesya is haunted by guilt and creative power-lessness. Instead of dealing with their shared trauma and concentrating on build-ing a human connection essential for Yan, she ...