The Awakening of Lilith
Director: Steven Adam Renkovish
Cast: Brittany Renee, Justin Livingston, Mary Miles Kokotek, Rachel Sims Jackson, Tiffany Majors Doby, Christiana Wilson, Jesse Roberts
The Awakening of Lilith follows the journey of Lilith (Brittany Renee), a woman who finds herself wandering in a dark and mysterious dreamlife, after the unexplained loss of her soulmate, Noah (Justin Livingston).
Grief is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is this theme illustrated more perfectly, than in the character of Lilith, herself. There is a moment, when Lilith is talking to Noah, when she tells him, “on the day that I left – wandered into this – I was just on the verge of being able to accept it…your disappearance.” Lilith finds herself torn between clinging to her past with Noah and wanting her heart to heal and find peace. We see Lilith’s struggle to emotionally connect with her mother and her friends at the Bible study. While there is a part of Lilith’s character which seems almost comfortable and safe in this bubble of grief that she has wrapped herself in, we see subtle hints, throughout her journey, that make us wonder if Lilith is vacillating between fantasy and reality.
The rosary plays a symbolic role in this story. I believe, for Lilith, the rosary represents courage in the face of absolute fear. When they are alone in the tent, Lilith shares a beautiful story with Noah, about a rare moment of happiness in her childhood. She tells Noah that when she was afraid at night, her nanny would sit by Lilith’s bed and comfort her. She shared a Scripture verse with Lilith to give her courage. The Scripture was “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of courage and of love and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7. The rosary is shown, in three separate moments: when Lilith is searching for Noah. When Noah vanishes the first time, and she’s searching for him, we see the rosary lying on his sleeping bag in their tent. Could Lilith, herself, have been using the rosary to pray? Or was this rosary left there (perhaps by Noah) as a reminder for Lilith to remember God’s promise? We see the rosary again, when Lilith is at the table, crying out to Noah, pleading with her lost love to come back to her. A song starts playing on the record player, and Lilith tenderly cradles the rosary in her hands, as she listens to the music. In the third moment, we see Lilith and Noah together again, and she tells him the beautiful story of this moment in her childhood when she was happy and loved…and she gives him the rosary. In the end, I believe the rosary is the catalyst which helps Lilith find her courage again.
The Awakening of Lilith is an emotionally riveting film, which illustrates the intricate layers of grief and love in a way that is universally understood. I felt like Lilith was speaking directly to my heart as I watched her character go on this journey. She articulated perfectly, how I have been feeling this past 3 years, during my own journey of grief, since losing my loved ones. The casting was excellent, particularly for Brittany Renee and Justin Livingston, whose portrayal of Lilith and Noah was so deeply and emotionally poignant, that I truly felt her pain. If I could give Mr. Renkovish and Ms. Renee an award for Best Director, Best Film and Best Actress, I absolutely would. They truly deserve all the praise and accolades they have received. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg All Rights Reserved
Director: Steven Adam Renkovish
Cast: Brittany Renee, Justin Livingston, Mary Miles Kokotek, Rachel Sims Jackson, Tiffany Majors Doby, Christiana Wilson, Jesse Roberts
The Awakening of Lilith follows the journey of Lilith (Brittany Renee), a woman who finds herself wandering in a dark and mysterious dreamlife, after the unexplained loss of her soulmate, Noah (Justin Livingston).
Grief is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is this theme illustrated more perfectly, than in the character of Lilith, herself. There is a moment, when Lilith is talking to Noah, when she tells him, “on the day that I left – wandered into this – I was just on the verge of being able to accept it…your disappearance.” Lilith finds herself torn between clinging to her past with Noah and wanting her heart to heal and find peace. We see Lilith’s struggle to emotionally connect with her mother and her friends at the Bible study. While there is a part of Lilith’s character which seems almost comfortable and safe in this bubble of grief that she has wrapped herself in, we see subtle hints, throughout her journey, that make us wonder if Lilith is vacillating between fantasy and reality.
The rosary plays a symbolic role in this story. I believe, for Lilith, the rosary represents courage in the face of absolute fear. When they are alone in the tent, Lilith shares a beautiful story with Noah, about a rare moment of happiness in her childhood. She tells Noah that when she was afraid at night, her nanny would sit by Lilith’s bed and comfort her. She shared a Scripture verse with Lilith to give her courage. The Scripture was “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of courage and of love and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7. The rosary is shown, in three separate moments: when Lilith is searching for Noah. When Noah vanishes the first time, and she’s searching for him, we see the rosary lying on his sleeping bag in their tent. Could Lilith, herself, have been using the rosary to pray? Or was this rosary left there (perhaps by Noah) as a reminder for Lilith to remember God’s promise? We see the rosary again, when Lilith is at the table, crying out to Noah, pleading with her lost love to come back to her. A song starts playing on the record player, and Lilith tenderly cradles the rosary in her hands, as she listens to the music. In the third moment, we see Lilith and Noah together again, and she tells him the beautiful story of this moment in her childhood when she was happy and loved…and she gives him the rosary. In the end, I believe the rosary is the catalyst which helps Lilith find her courage again.
The Awakening of Lilith is an emotionally riveting film, which illustrates the intricate layers of grief and love in a way that is universally understood. I felt like Lilith was speaking directly to my heart as I watched her character go on this journey. She articulated perfectly, how I have been feeling this past 3 years, during my own journey of grief, since losing my loved ones. The casting was excellent, particularly for Brittany Renee and Justin Livingston, whose portrayal of Lilith and Noah was so deeply and emotionally poignant, that I truly felt her pain. If I could give Mr. Renkovish and Ms. Renee an award for Best Director, Best Film and Best Actress, I absolutely would. They truly deserve all the praise and accolades they have received. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg All Rights Reserved