Emily Pelstring’s New Film Brings To Life The Erotic Visions Of A Medieval Nun

A trippy marvel from Canadian artist Emily Pelstring, A Flame The Colour of Air (2025) explores saints and, well, naturally, pole dancing.

A Flame the Colour of Air draws inspiration from medieval Catholic mystic Hildegard von Bingen, who navigated the virgin/whore dichotomy in her ecstatic, erotic visions. Known for her divine revelations, musical compositions, and encyclopedic medical writings, von Bingen’s legacy lives on in this film’s animated visuals, imagery directly inspired by her surviving transcriptions.

Stepping into Pelstring’s world feels like entering a warped, psychedelic time capsule from the 1970s. At times, it’s as though you’re submerged deep underwater, passively observing mysterious, glowing forms as they flicker in and out of view, dancing in an ephemeral ballet of color and shape.

Pelstring recalls being inspired by Ace of Light by Sky David (D. Pies), saying, “I read about their technique with lasers and found a low-tech way to achieve something similar by projecting the image through a fish tank.”

An artist, filmmaker, and associate professor in the Department of Film and Media at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Pelstring works across media installation, experimental film, and performance. Her practice situates moving images and sound within overlapping frameworks drawn from science, magical traditions, and religious texts.