Program 2: Innovative Perspectives

Q&A with Bridget Murnane, Walter Kennedy, Hillary Dann

Bella
New York City Premiere
Bridget Murnane, 2022, USA, 98m
A masterfully made documentary, Bella, is about the life, influence and impact of California-based artist and activist Bella Lewitzky. Described by Walter Terry as “one of the greatest American dancers of our age,” Lewitzky was a talented, strong, outspoken individual who dedicated much of her creative life to fighting censorship in dance and the arts. Designated one of America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures by the Dance Heritage Coalition and awarded the National Medal of Arts, Lewitzky demonstrated how a uniquely Californian artist with vision and tenacity could change the lives of her fellow citizens.

Preceded by

SHE
Emil Dam Seidel, 2021, Sweden, 8m
Caught in a room, the protagonist, Clarice, unfolds a vision of her own identity with a mirror interrogator. SHE is a cinematic adaptation of a solo dance performance by the same name. The original work was created and performed by Dorotea Saykaly and premiered at the Cinquième Salle at Place des Arts in Montréal, Quebec in 2019. Inspired by The Passion According to G.H. by Clarice Lispector, the solo revolves around identity and doubt. Manifested through movement, distortion, and an interview with a phantom interrogator, the original work proposes looking at a questioning body through a female lens.