Set in the iconic Porthmeor Studios in St Ives, Cornwall, The Genesis Project blurs the boundaries between painting, poetry, and performance. In this deeply personal short film, Californian artist Emma Fineman creates her first fully immersive painting — a sanctuary-like environment that unfolds around her, both physically and emotionally.
Directed by Camilla Greenwell, the film documents the intimate process behind Fineman’s latest work, exploring themes of queerness, spirituality, ecology, and loss. Reimagining the biblical creation myth from the Book of Genesis, Fineman offers a new narrative shaped by the divine feminine and queer identity. Her storytelling interweaves her own poetic prose with texts by Audre Lorde on the erotic and passages from the Book of the Serpent.
Between the studio walls and the wild Cornish cliffs, a reflective dialogue unfolds between artist and director — one that touches on love, death, memory, and what it means to carry those we’ve lost. The resulting film becomes a surreal, moving space mirroring the nature of the painting itself — a poetic choreography of word, movement, and color.
The Genesis Project is featured on NOWNESS, a global platform known for its curation of high-quality, visually-driven stories in the realms of art, design, fashion, and culture. Since its inception, NOWNESS has become a go-to destination for boundary-pushing narratives and progressive perspectives. Fineman’s project fits seamlessly into this editorial universe, reminding us of the emotional and transformative power of visual storytelling.
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