Fathom

Fathom is a short documentary about the Fastnet Lighthouse, located on the most southerly point of Ireland off the coast of Cork. Weaving together a series of archival films, this documentary captures the majesty of the Fastnet Lighthouse, the intricacy of its construction and operation and the mighty power of the surrounding sea. Marrying vivid imagery with a spare and dialogue-free soundscape, this essayistic film considers solitude, meditation and the process of thinking, in this most isolated spot.  

Co-directed with Pat Collins, Sharon Whooley has noted that she was greatly inspired by the writings of James Joyce and Scottish poet Nan Shepard, whose works touched on the ideas of co-existing time frames and temporalities in conjunction with the significance of physical locations.

This film is part of F-Rated: Short Films by Irish Women. To view more from the collection click here.