Emilija Škarnulytė
Tethys
2024

Tethys, showcased at La Citadelle in Villefranche-sur-Mer as part of the Saison de la Lituanie en France 2024, prompts viewers to rethink the connections between the artificial and the natural, the cosmic and the earthly, myth and reality. The title references the inscription above the fortress entrance, “Tethys,” which alludes to an ancient Greek sea goddess and a primordial sea that existed long before present-day continents took shape. In the film, Škarnulytė embodies the mermaid chimera, navigating the azure waters and the ruins submerged beneath. While the mermaid is a recurring motif in her work, here she symbolizes Tethys, representing an ancient force linked to both the ocean and swirling galaxies, bridging the gap between a distant past and a post-human future.

Tethys was commissioned by La Citadelle – Centre d’art et Musées thanks to the support of Lietuvos kultūros institutas / Lithuanian Culture Institute and l’Institut Français. Exhibition curated by Camille Frasca and Mėta Valiušaitytė.

Written and directed by: Emilija Škarnulytė
Cinematographer: Eitvydas Doškus
Editing: Vytautas Tinteris
Composer: Tuomas A. Laitinen
Executive producer: Elena Veleckaitė, assisted by Deividas Katkus
Light design: Adomas Kaikaris
Goddess: Elena Veleckaitė
Drone Pilot: Davey Whitcraft, Vytautas Tinteris
Production: Mirror Matter Productions