About this Event
7th House is proud to welcome film writer Quatoyiah Murry (TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema) for the launch of her new curatorial project ENLIGHTED ARTISTS, featuring a special screening of a woefully underseen and eerily disquieting modern gem of occult cinema — Liam Gavin’s A DARK SONG (2016).
A masterful folk horror tale of ritual, mystery, and magic, Gavin’s directorial debut follows a grieving woman who withdraws from the world, as she isolates herself alone with a merciless occultist, to find serenity through a grueling, months-long Abramelin magic ritual. Sequestered in an abandoned manor in the remote Welsh countryside, the walls of their psyches begin to fray as the days wear on and the veil between the material world and the unseen grows ever thinner—with frightening and shocking results.
Rooting himself in the discomfort of the unknown, Gavin constructs an unsettling environment punctuated by high strangeness and crackling tension between his two leads, both of whom deliver outstanding performances rich with desperation, grief, and conviction. With a masterful command of tone and pace, he crafts a haunting slow burn meditation on (rigorously authentic) ceremonial magic, grief, guilt, and spiritual reckoning.
Joining Murry for the inaugural outing of Enlighted Artists is guests William Kiesel, scholar, teacher, and publishing director of Ouroboros Press—an independent small-press publisher devoted to esoteric, occult, and hermetic texts—and mythologist Maryam Sayad. Kiesel will provide a contextual introduction to the Book of Abramelin, the text central to the film, before joining Murry and Sayad for a post-screening discussion and audience Q&A on ceremonial magic and the intersection of daemonology and the psycho-mythology of grief.
Do not miss the premiere of Enlighted Artists and a rare theatrical screening of a powerful, unnerving, underseen treasure sure to haunt the imagination long after the lights come up.
Dir. Liam Gavin, 2016, 100 mins, UK, English, Not Rated (Adult Audiences Only), Digital.
TICKETS: $12 (In Person Event Only)
Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
ENLIGHTED ARTISTS
Enlighted Artists is the creative initiative of film author Quatoyiah Murry as an avenue for fostering spiritual and reflective communal gatherings through film screenings. Guests will be present to introduce the film, and the screening will be followed by a moderated Q&A, inviting attendees to engage with experts, the film, and one another.
QUATOYIAH MURRY
Quatoyiah Murry is a film writer and author of TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema. Her love of words and her passion for film history has made her an integral part of Turner Classic Movies. She produces video essays and writes film essays with contributions to Film and History: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Turner Classic Movies, and OCN Distribution physical media. She has hosted international film screenings for independent and cult films in France, Canada, and America. Her work often focuses on diversity, representation, and historical context in film. Her areas of expertise include cult cinema, Black cinematic history, trauma and the body, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and James Spader movies. Born and raised in Georgia, she lived, worked, and received her master’s in films studies in Paris, France.
WILLIAM KIESEL
William Kiesel has walked the path of esotericism for over 30 years. His practical experience and historical knowledge of occult literature and culture draws from such diverse disciplines as Hermeticism, Neoplatonism, Qabalah, Thelema, Alchemy, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, and Ceremonial Magic. With his decades as an antiquarian bookseller, his training in letterpress printing and bookbinding, Kiesel brings his love of books and scholarship together as publisher at Ouroboros Press. He is also faculty at 22 Teachings School of Hermetic Science and Magical Arts. www.bookarts.org
MARYAM SAYAD
Maryam Sayyad is a mythologist and noetic artist driven by a lifelong quest for esoteric wisdom. With a PhD in mythological studies, a philosophical mindset, a visual and theatrical arts background, and an evergreen urge to distill meaning from myths, she can be found researching, writing, consulting, speaking, or otherwise creating noetic events.
As Director of Art and Education for Cross Cultural Expressions (CCE), her task is to draw out connections between myth and psychology, and to communicate them in consulting room, classroom, and the arts. She is Director of Storytelling on CCE film and stage productions, as well as for the performing arts group, Namah Ensemble, where her role is bringing Iranian mythology and esotericism to the stage through performances blending dance, music, and cinematic craft with the ancient art of live storytelling.
She is the curator and host of the nnual daylong Mythos of Iran symposium at The Philosophical Research Society, where she is also serves a board member. Maryam is dedicated to the mission of PRS in tending a worldwide community of truthseekers whose search transcends national and religious boundaries
ADVISORY DISCLAIMER
With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.
ACCESSIBILITY
PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.
REFUND POLICIES
All sales are final. There are no refunds for PRS events , except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test. Ticket exchanges may be granted on a case by case basis, pending circumstances.
In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.
PARKING
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PRS EVENT POLICIES
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States
USD 14.64
