DFA Global—Three Short Films

As we celebrate our 46th Dance on Camera Festival, Dance Films Association launches DFA Global, an international program that provides a platform of support and dialogue with screen dance partners and producers, and which extends the festival’s commitment to screening films from all over the world. The inaugural selections hail from Canada, China, and Brazil:

An Improbable Dream
Lionel Chetwynd, Canada, 2016, 44m
Using archival footage and personal recollection, this documentary offers a no-holds-barred picture of the rigorous training demanded of youngsters who dreamed of becoming ballet dancers at the famed National Ballet of Canada in the era of founder-director Betty Oliphant. The film focuses on the academy’s 1981 alumni, which range from the internationally known (Rex Harrington) to those whose who did not continue their training. Recalling their experience as a time of anxiety mixed with hope, they are today confident people who have found their place in the world.

Fate (Nuo)
Xiaojao Hu, China, 2017, 28m
U.S. Premiere
Chinese with English subtitles
An exploration of the origins of the Chinese traditional “mask dance,” this film features works created by Professor Guo Lei, President of the Beijing Dance Academy. He draws on the characteristic features of traditional folk dance from his home province of Jiangxi, focusing on head and hand gestures and weaving the traditional form with contemporary choreography and performance.

20 Years of Sun (20 Anos de Sol)
Carlos Mach and Ariela Dorf, Brazil, 2018, 3m
Dance, music, and fashion combine to create irresistible magic in this short film produced by FARM, a women’s wear company based in Rio de Janeiro, as part of a dance-infused media campaign celebrating its 20th anniversary.