Quiet, melodic music builds slowly as we open on a shot of a heavily pregnant woman on screen. The scene transitions to a rudimentary sketched drawing of the world, briefly spinning on its axis before we find ourselves alone on a forest path, the trees crowded in around us and the haunting music swelling, ebbing, and pulsing on. Brief flashes of a childhood interspersed with more elegant drawings evoke an almost meditative quality.
Colin Hickey’s latest experimental film, Perennial Light, draws the viewer in and wraps you in its glow almost before the realisation sets in that you are watching something extraordinary and beautiful. Shot entirely in black and white and telling its life-spanning story wordlessly, it’s an evocative experience that invites an audience to step into the shoes of a young boy as he navigates life in an isolated setting, dealing with grief, trauma, healing, and redemption.
Letting his camera do all the talking and cutting in some simple, yet elegant animation from artist Paolo Chianta, Hickey’s film delves into spaces and emotions rarely depicted on screen in the manner he has presented them. Our protagonist grapples with darkness and depression on his journey, brought about by a sudden loss, his most personal thoughts laid bare for us all to see.
The film makes the most of Ireland’s rugged rural landscape with beautiful monochrome drone shots and almost intrusive handheld camerawork all undertaken by Hickey himself. Even the score conjures up the wildness of the land; simple chimes and echoes of the wind penetrate the consciousness in a way the most bombastic theme music would struggle with in this setting.
It won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s a heavy subject matter told in a manner that requires the viewer to give over fully to its dreamlike quality and silent meditation, but for those willing the journey is a satisfying cinematic encounter that will stay with you for some time.