To Keep the Light

The film is a powerful statement about the determination of one woman to create her own destiny. It is visually stunning and pitch perfect in both story line and in the austere acting which complement the barren Maine island where most of the action occurs. Ms. Fae, wrote, directed and starred in this wonderful, feminist film which has taken a host of awards. I hope she will have a long and productive career as we cannot wait to see her next production.

Watching To Keep The Light reminded me of the experience of instructed learning I received at school as a child. Neither particularly pleasant or unpleasant, it was a mundane, narrative exploration of people and facts, punctuated with dramatic sounding events and conclusions. This was my experience of this film. I'm pleased for writer, director, producer and lead actor, Erica Fae, that her academic profile impressed enough people to fund To Keep The Light. It will undoubtedly grant her long tenure in teaching.

Unfortunately, her skills as a virtuoso don't extend to a moving portraiture as an actor. And as a director of this piece, Ingemar Bergman she is not.

She is a measured script writer, clearly an excellent networker, but despite surrounding herself with cinema professionals she turns in a term paper aimed at achieving a safe B grade. Cinema is about reaching for the stars, sometimes while keeping your feet on the ground. The experience of the images/ background should be visceral and real, and the narrative a journey where the dramatic arc is compelling for the characters and audience. The background does its job in To Keep The Light, but as textured and atmospheric as the lighthouse and scenery is, it's no substitute for a story and characters that immerse you. Effective cinema moves us, provokes responses and opinions, to discover something mattered. Nothing matters if the point of the movie isn't the storytelling, but honoring the academic underlay.

My experience was disappointment at (mainly Erica's) unmoving performance and a lack of life or vibrancy in her character. Her acting was, at best, representative, not responsive. And, it were as if she coopted the medium of film to celebrate her love of research and historical facts. Her choosing to put it in cinematic form was a bit like choosing interpretive dance to sing a song.

That's to say, I couldn't see what moved Erica to do all this. Perhaps her strength in, and love of historical research just doesn't translate into breathing life into a story. In all, a cinematic gesture referring to women lighthouse keepers, ends up being subjugated by the pedagogic bent of its creator.

As a professional Maine boat captain I have more than a nodding acquaintance with lighthouses, with their function and history along the Maine Coast. When I chanced upon this film I very much suspected that I would find it sorely lacking. But such was not the case! In fact I was much impressed by how accurately the life of a 19th Century was portrayed. Great script, great acting, great cinematograpy! Loved the film and am looking forward to Erica Fae's next effort!

Really somber,moving at a glacial pace,like a horror movie without the horror.

To Keep the Light (2016) was written and directed by Erica Fae. After we saw this astonishing film, I checked on IMDb to find out the name of the extraordinarily talented star of the movie. It was Erica Fae!

The story--about a lonely women who is a lighthouse keeper--is well scripted. The direction is wonderful. However, what struck me most was the incredible acting of the protagonist. When I learned that Erica Fae starred in her own film, I couldn't believe it. (In fact, I checked it out using Google Image. Same person.) Other directors have directed themselves, but bringing out such a bravura performance is simply incredible.

The movie's plot is interesting. Apparently women really were lighthouse keepers--sometimes officially, sometimes not. Matters concerning the sea were obviously very important in 19th Century Maine. Keeping a lighthouse in operation was a major responsibility. One look at Erica Fae, and you know she can do the job. However, all is not what it seems. The plot doesn't go where you expect it to go. I guess we can thank scriptwriter Erica Fae for that innovation.

We saw this movie in Rochester's truly excellent Little Theatre. It was shown as part of wonderful High Falls Film Festival: Celebrating Women in Film. The interpersonal aspect of the plot will work well enough on the small screen, but you'll lose some of the spectacular scenery of the Maine coast.

To Keep the Light has an extremely high IMDb rating of 7.8. The problem is that less than 20 people have rated it. I'm the first reviewer. My suggestion is that you find a way to see this movie, rate it, and review it. The film is a masterpiece--we have to get the word out so people will realize how good it is.