About this submission

On a decaying ranch in Tehachapi, CA, Lily Aleman seeks answers to her endless fight with a worsening illness. Lily decides to relinquish physical control of her predicament, placing her faith in the Lord’s redemptive power. Her husband Joseph, a recently unemployed construction worker, chooses a more pragmatic approach, searching for work so that he may continue to support his ailing wife. At its core, PENUMBRA explores faith and existential suffering through the lens of a domestic drama, asking the question: what does faith look like in the face of despair?

Eli Ricanati

Creator

Eli Ricanati is a 2022 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a BA in Visual Studies (an interdisciplinary degree that combines philosophy, psychology, and art history). Eli has been taking photographs since the age of fourteen and discovered film as a medium of expression during his high school years. His visual art, photographs and short films, have been recognized by the College Photographer of the Year Awards and numerous film festivals. He hopes to direct and write feature films.