Sentence
Rosemary Lee, Hugo Glendinning
United Kingdom
The film Sentence evokes the ephemerality of dance through the experimental use of animation and slow shutter speed.
Shot in a former court room, breath like ghostly traces of the dancer Lauren Potter's movements blur into and out of the dark wooden panelling.
FIlmed in the isolated strange times of lockdown and set against a haunting sound-score by Isaac Lee-Kronick, Sentence suggests a mysterious yearning for permanence.
Father Father
Jozsef Trefeli
Australia, Switzerland
Dancer József Trefeli, named after his grandfather whom he never met, embarks on a deeply personal journey. His father, a Hungarian immigrant, fled to Australia in 1956 following the Hungarian Revolution. Drawn by the echoes of his heritage, József seeks to reconnect with the language and culture of his ancestors. Guided by his father’s voice and cherished stories, he ventures to his ancestral homeland, uncovering a legacy interwoven with history and memory.
UK Premiere
Convivencia
John Jota Leaños, Vanessa Sanchez
United States
Convivencia is a dance film that brings to light the lives and stories of female essential laborers along the US/Mexico borderlands through Tap dance, Son Jarocho, and Afro-Carribean rhythms. The film highlights interviews with migrant domestic laborers from "La Colectiva de Mujeres,” a female-led collective of domestic workers in California. The film addresses the struggles, resistance, and resilience of these women to showcase their significant contributions to our communities and celebrates their spirit of community, joy, and resilience. “Convivencia” is a unique fusion of oral histories, percussive dance, footwork, and folkloric dance from choreographer/director Vanessa Sanchez in collaboration with filmmaker John Jota Leaños.
Sharp
Stephan Dorn
Germany
How much does making Art take from us? How much of ourselves do we put into it?
In this stop-motion dance film the protagonists - simple pencils - give themselves up in the process of producing movement. Only by disappearing can they make their art visible.
Give, Up, Give Up
Nailong Song
China
Is the image "created" or "recorded"? This question is the original intention of the production of the work. It tells a story about three stinky craftsmen who cannot withstand a single Zhuge Liang. The three companions were enthusiastic, but they didn't come up with anything. I got into the cage I made for myself, but I couldn't jump out and was still proud of myself. If this entire process is considered creative, what have we created? If this is just a record, have we saved the time that has passed? We choose to create through the lens, which records our foolishness and insignificance.
From the Archive LISDF 2023