Mya Byrne Archbold

Every life on this earth tells a unique story, one that longs to be told and remembered. While it would be impossible to tell every story, my work presents a homage to life and death. Influenced by my experiences of life, grief, and memory, the work explores the ways in which life and death interact with one another.

“Лукомо́рье”, pronounced in English as "Lukomorya", is the opening poem to a literary fairy tale by Alexander Pushkin. The poem establishes that the story is told to the narrator by a wise cat from the magical place of Lukomorya, where fairy tales come to life.

Using this as a storytelling framework, my short film places the viewer in the position of a visitor to the wise cat, listening to tales about the life of a dear friend. The work explores how life and death exist hand in hand, suggesting that while death remains unknown, life can become whatever we choose to make of it.