A review by jonbar94
The Illuminated Space: A Personal Theory & Contemplative Practice of Media Art by Marilyn Freeman

5.0

Marilyn Freeman’s theory of Illuminated Space provides a crucial, alternative form of media creation when it comes to the fast-paced world of filmmaking. Many filmmakers, myself included, are often obsessed with “getting the shot,” and running off to the next take under the pressure of a looming deadline. Freeman asks us to slow down with our cameras, and open our hearts to to the unexpected. She mainly does this through adapting and remixing prayers and the works of philosophers, namely an ancient prayer process called lectio divinia and the “punctum” theory of Roland Barthes. With her own method of “cinema divinia,” Freeman walks the reader through the process of discovering the Illuminated Space, providing examples of her own work throughout, and teaching how to heal through art. It’s a book in shelving with the rest of my media theory titles, and I’ll be surely be taking it back down again and again.