Reel Women fanzine

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REEL WOMEN is a monthly film night dedicated to the work of female filmmakers.

“Dance and Movement”

When we began exploring films made by women that featured dance, there was one name constantly on our minds: Maya Deren.

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Deren is a sacred creature of film history, one of the very few women filmmakers who is given high standing in the historical canon of film. Deren remains an anomaly, she worked in California in the 1940s, and was one of the first truly avant-garde filmmakers.

She only has a handful of short films to her name, starting with “Meshes of the Afternoon”, easily her most well-known work; and ending with her feature length study of Voudoun culture in Haiti. One aspect that unites all of her works, is the way she films the human body in movement.

In “Meshes”, she captures the movement of her own body, perfectly recreating the disorientating movement of a dream. It was dance that first drew her to Haiti, as the project of modern dance explored ritualistic movement not restriction by the forms of institutionalised dancing, like ballet.

Deren herself fell in love with Voudoun culture, she was particularly captivated by the movements created during possessions, she ended up recording 18,000 feet of film in Haiti. The final film was edited after Deren’s death, the hour long documentary that resulted, “Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti”, is praised as one of the best films about Voudoun culture ever made. However, it is in her two short films “A Study in Choreography for Camera and Ritual in Transfigured Time”, that her eye for movement and dance really shines. In “A Study”, a dancer’s body moves effortless through the film while the landscapes shifts around him, whereas in “Ritual”, everyday gestures are heightened and brought to the foreground.

Both these films foreground bodies in movement like no other, they entice and haunt the audience as you follow the shape of movements around the frame.

Perhaps the reason Deren is remembered in the film canon, when so many other women were carefully excluded, is because of her unmatched ability to capture the human form on film.

- Jenny Clarke, Reel Women programmer

Seven Ways South reviewed by Lizzie Scourfield

Commissioned by the Creative Projects Team and Siobhan Davis Dance, an ‘investigative arts organisation that stimulates new thinking based on a more contemporary definition of choreography’, SEVEN WAYS SOUTH explores the relationship between people and movement.

The documentary travels through snippets of interviews with different people from English community groups discussing their hobbies and interests and how the movement makes them feel. The interests include swimming, horse riding, gardening, U13 football, rock climbing and alternative dance, with the narrative creating both a sense of the practical nature of the activity, whilst also conveying a much deeper meaning of what it means to the people partaking. Within only 12 minutes it manages to swiftly reach to the heart of why people enjoy the activities they do, connecting these seemingly unrelated hobbies through themes of rhythm and movement.

The interviews take the activities to transcend the literal movement to tie into something greater, with a consistent notion of how the movement we do mirrors the actions of nature – a woman describes how the movements within gardening echo the movement of the nature she is tending to, whilst a swimmer comments on feeling like a fish within the water, and a horse rider relates the motion of the horse to a surfer taking off on a wave. By having the interviewees as relatable and ordinary people, with a variety of ages, genders and ethnicities, the film creates a very personal feeling narrative. It is effective in being a thought-provoking and engaging piece which creates the sensation of connection – not only through the connections of our movements to nature - but that no matter how different our interests are, we are all mirrored simply in the action of moving.

PAS

reviewed by Emma Wilkinson

Screened at cambridge film fest 2015

Directed by emerging Québécois filmmaker, Frédérique Cournoyer-Lessard, “Pas” (2015) is a bold and unusual dance short. It blends together the narrative of danceobsessed Rose with stylised choreography scenes which exemplify her experiences — meaning that the film as a whole plays consistently and interestingly with the relationship between dance and drama, and introduces the body as a source of power and fascination.

Part of the intrigue of “Pas” is its constant shift of focus — we are being constantly introduced to new ideas, new slants on what dance means for Rose, new segments of her past. Rather than being disorientating, however, this structure generates rapid forward motion. “Pas” is a film that grips and excites, and forces an audience to examine not just Rose’s life as an individual, but also the role that dance plays more broadly.

“Pas” is equally able to achieve this pace and tone through its skilful visual storytelling. While it relies on some common tropes of film grammar to identify its characters and draw us through its story, it is also able to blur the lines between reality as we understand it, and reality as it appears in the world of dance. This fantasy-real quality allows an audience to accept both the complex, unusual choreographed scenes and the more naturalistic, narrative-driven scenes.

Despite being visually unusual and narratively complex, over only a short length of time, this film succeeds in both relaying a heartfelt story and providing a visual celebration of dance. It is brave and clear, and succeeds in connecting an audience with its central character and with broader, cultural questions. It provides a rapid-fire glimpse into the role of dance as something with physical, sexual, romantic and dangerous potential — but manages to skilfully blend its complex narrative, cinematography and choreography to present this wide scope of ideas in a gripping and constantly engaging way.

Today’s Yesterday reviewed by Yozzie Osman

“Today’s Yesterday”, directed by Jade Travers, is a film that uses music and dance to illustrate the effects of aging and the power of memories. The premise is quite simple: an elderly woman dances freely and passionately in her living room. As the camera studies her and the room to the electronic soundtrack of Norwegian Pine by Lasertom, it soon becomes clear that there is a melancholic edge to her flowing and joyous dance moves.

There is real beauty in the effortless dancing of our protagonist, which avoids ridicule by being earnest in its lack of inhibition, but its Travers’ direction that makes the general effect of the film captivating to watch. The slow-motion captures of movements, combined with ambient music and a variety of frames, means that the dance is more than just a dance- it’s telling a story.

Intertwined with shots of flowing movement, there are still shots of furniture and ornaments, referring to old memories. The sallow browns and greens that dominate the production design contrast to the looks of delight on the protagonist’s face. This overall juxtaposition works well in showing the changes in this one woman’s life, and makes even more sense once we get to the end of the film.

Edited by Tony Cranstoun, and with Cathal Watters as the Director of Photography, it’s clear that they and Travers make a great team.

This is a short film that conveys much meaning with little content. It does a wonderful job of showing how a basic plot- one woman dancing alone in her living room - can prove to be much more heartfelt than it initially sounds.

Director Jade Travers

playground politix reviewed by Yozzie Osman

The playground is the battlefield in Doreen Spicer-Dannelly’s “Playground Politix”, a short film where girls battle boys for space and dance is the greatest weapon.

At the beginning of the film, we are boldy told “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” It’s easy for such a film, with a weighty opening statement and a focus on children and dance battles, to sound cheesy or artificial- a sickly sweet concoction of faux attitude and exploited talent. Spicer-Dannelly’s Playground Politix successfully avoids this.

It is an engaging, sincere take on the battle of the sexes, where everyone comes out on top. In this piece, all kids have the right to play, and the ensuing dance-filled drama is a joy to behold.

Playground Politix has a cast with some unbelievably talented dancers, and what works is its emphasis on their sheer talent. With dance styles including street, salsa, and ballet to name a few, the kids effortlessly take on each sequence, each movement with equal determination and finesse. Chuck Maldonado’s choreography is wonderful to watch, and directed well amongst some fierce editing to show the dynamics of each sequence.

The catchy, elevating song that plays as the credits roll is called ‘No Bully’, and with such emphasis on the dancing it’s easy to miss the more profound meaning behind Playground Politix. The anti-bullying message is important, though perhaps does not come across as clearly as the filmmakers intended. However, where they have succeeded is in making a powerful, fun film with some fantastic dancing, a fabulous cast and a message that everyone, boy or girl, can run the playground.

“A Juice Box Afternoon” is a rousing exploration into the imaginative landscape that exists between a reader and the characters of a book.

Lily Baldwin, a dancer and a filmmaker, both directs and stars as our main storyteller.

The film introduces a young woman absorbed in the act of reading, her face shielded behind a novel “Bring Me a Unicorn” by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. What soon manifests is the imaginative flight that the novel evokes for our reader, who brings Lindbergh’s story to life as she “comes of age, meets Charles Lindbergh, and experiences flight in more ways than one”.

Dance arrives in this film where you least expect it.

Baldwin’s wry voice captivates throughout, and the stylistic cinematography works well to set the scene of offbeat imagination. Shot with a distinctly low-fi treatment, the film transports you into surreal, dream-like haze, rousing you with its punchy editing and choreography.

Dance arrives in this film where you least expect it. We see Baldwin throwing fluid, trancelike movements, physically demonstrating the feelings evoked by Lindbergh’s words, and the imaginative flight that literature is unleashing within her.

The use of music accompanying this choreography is a particular triumph – the impelling, raw track selection jars against the delicate movements of the dance, working to a great, hypnotic effect.

This film is the first in a series of shorts by Baldwin called “The Paperback Movie Project”, all of which aim to depict the relationship between literature and its reader. “A Juice Box Afternoon” sees Lily Baldwin experimenting with words, dance and imagination in a way that completely transports you, making for an unusual and enchanting short.

Jen’s Top Ten

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feature films with dance and movement in ‘em 1. Mad Hot Ballroom – directed by Marilyn This may be the perfect dance documentary, and a true underdog story of the poor school versus the rich, fighting it out on the dancefloor. But at its heart this movie is about a group of kids who fall in love with ballroom dancing.

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2. Step Up – directed by Anne Fletcher The birth of the 21 st Century phenomenon that is Channing Tatum.

Putting his passion and rage into the dance in a way not seen since Kevin Bacon danced his anger out in a Midwestern factory.

3. Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold) & Girlhood (Celine Sciamma) You might not call them dance movies, but both these comingof- age demonstrate the freedom and joy to be found in dance.

Whatever else is happening in these girls’ lives, dance can be an escape.

4. Northern Soul – directed by Elaine Constantine All Dance, All Soul, Some Drugs. The ultimate British dance phenomenon is expertly captured by Constantine and this cast of unknowns in all its sweaty, high kicking glory. Keep the Faith.

5. Paris is Burning – directed by Jennie Livingstone Before there was RuPaul’s Drag Race, there was Paris is Burning and its indepth look at the ballroom scene in New York in the 1980s, central to the piece is Willi Ninja and his dream to bring Voguing to the world.

6. Beau Travail – directed by Claire Denis Beau Travail, more than any other film on this list, engages with dance and movement to hypnotic and confounding effect. In Denis’s hands military drills becomes ballet, nights at club become high art.

7. Bend It Like Beckham – directed by Gurinder Chadha Another breakout role, this time for Keira Knightely as the tough self-possesed footballer who entices Jess. All the classic sport movie tropes are presented, the training, the rejection, the redemption and triumph.

8. Whip It – directed by Drew Barrymore In the brutal world of Texas roller derby Ellen Page is the perfect bored teenager looking for adventure who finds a true calling on the roller rink. She catches a boy along the way, but ditches him and keeps the skates.

9. Girlfight – directed by Karyn Kusama There’s something about this list and breakout roles. Girlfight was Michelle Rodriguez’s first time on screen. Glaring straight at the camera and throwing punches at the audience, she is captivating.

ALL CONTENT COPYRIGHT

10. A League of Their Own – directed by Penny Marshall ©TAKE ONE There’s no crying in baseball, but there is much crying while watching A League of Their Own. When the trailblazing ballplayers are honoured ©REEL WOMEN 2016 in the baseball hall of fame, not a dry eye in the house. Ever.