It seems overly easy to say I am proud of my daughter, almost like cheating on this post. So instead I will put in a shameless movie plug because I am pretty proud of my documentary that I am just finishing up. Sometimes getting a documentary into festivals is really hard because people see them as being really subject driven so they pay more attention to the subject itself than the film. Since my film is so female oriented, unfortunately, that gives the film a disadvantage. Film is very masculine in many, many ways. So I thought I would say here that regardless of what happens with the film I am very proud of it. I feel that I truly accomplished what I set out to do and it has been a dream come true to be able to make this film.
When I began this film I was not only thinking about humanizing the ballerina, but also about the documentary form itself. Interviews can become very dry and impersonal and I really wanted to explore how an interview can be used to connect with a person as opposed to presenting facts or moving along a narrative. I also wanted to explore what it means to exist and be successful as a female artist. No matter what a woman does they can never be separated from the basic principle that they are a woman. I don't necessarily view that as good or bad; it just is. So I was intrigued by the idea of examining the career considered to be the most feminine of all and explore if that changes who the women are as people. In essence, does being a ballerina turn a person into a stereotype or is there an existence beyond the public perception of a ballerina. Even going beyond that to consider what the stereotype of being a woman is and how does a dancer balance both of these labels. In the beginning I also wanted to inform the general public about ballet in general, why it is an important art form, its history, and so on. I quickly realized that was too much for one film and I needed to stay focused on the ballerina. Maybe, I need to make a series of films. That will have to take some consideration, perhaps.
Pictures: (top) Traci Gilchrest, Melissa Anduiza, and Alessandra Ball in the studio (middle) Melissa Anduiza and Pete Walker rehearsing (bottom) Alessandra Ball in her apartment. Visit: strengthandbeautymovie.com for more information about the film.
No comments:
Post a Comment