Elen Lotman completed an artistic research project called "Limits of Darkness“.

The project raised the question: how to show darkness in cinema?It is physically impossible to exhibit complete pure black, because film is always shown through light - whether it is a projector projecting light onto a white screen or a screen with light-emitting elements - the basis for showing film is always light, and black light does not physically exist. What to do if the operator needs to show total pitch blackness?

In connection with a feature film in development, which takes place largely in a room without light sources, a creative need arise to experiment with artistic research methods on how it is possible to show maximum darkness in the film. This project aimed to test systematically how it is possible to show maximum darkness in the film, also taking into account that subtitles will affect the accommodation of the human eye.

The test aimed to experiment different possibilities of showing darkness in a situation where what is known in the film as "motivated light" (a light source perceived in the diegetic space, which justifies the use of light within the frame) does not exist. The test conducted within the project involved a number of different exposure and sensitivity combinations with light and subjective psychophysiological experiments with viewers.

The project was supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture artistic research grant, conducted by Elen Lotman, who is also Tallinn University Baltic Film and Media School associate professor.