'Suit of Lights' to be screened at ML Museum Thursday

MOSES LAKE — A movie meditation on the choices individuals make will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Moses Lake Civic Center. The screening of “Suit of Lights” is sponsored by the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center as part of the museum’s fall speakers series.

Producer Matthew “Sarge” Sargis, Portland, will be at the screening to talk about making the movie, described as an “acid Western.” He will be joined by co-producer Wes Schmidt and actor Bruce Jennings, according to a press release from the museum.

“We shot the movie on location in Oregon and Washington, with the bulk of production taking place in Wasco County (Oregon), and more specifically the Tygh Valley,” writer and director Jeff Rowles wrote. Other locations included Woodland, north of Vancouver; the Oregon Coast and Mt. Hood.

“Suit of Lights” follows the journey of a deceased matador, whose soul is “abducted by supernatural misfits.” But the matador has been looking for something – happiness, in his case – and his new companions “decide to reinvent themselves on the lam,” the press release said.

They’re not alone. “The past is in close pursuit in the form of three enchanting sirens seeking to reclaim domination over the matador, reminding him of the cost of letting go. When all parties converge, the matador faces an existential crisis of meaning, as all roads – past, present and future – beckon him home.”

Rowles said the movie was inspired by an essay by Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca. “In the essay he highlights particular art forms where he feels there may be mysterious forces at work within the artist as well as the performance, bullfighting and matadors among them,” he wrote. “It was within this piece of writing that many of the themes found in the film, including the matador as central figure, were born. While the story evolved a great deal from this initial seed, I wanted to maintain some connection to Lorca’s point of view.”

Rowles said he wants the viewers to leave the screening with something to think about. “The intention was always to raise questions within the viewer instead of providing any easy answers or overall statement. In the end, if people walk away from the film feeling entertained while also having had their own thoughtful experience with it, regardless of collective takeaways, then it’s a success.”

The fall speakers series is one of two lecture series sponsored by the museum. People who want more information can contact the museum, 509-764-3830.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.