Whose Utopia

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory(fr)

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

No Palco(pt)

A Chair Fit for an Angel(en)

For two hundred years, the Shakers have been America's most successful utopian society. While seeking harmony, order and perfection in every aspect of their lives, they built minimalistic furniture and buildings that influenced modern design. The Shakers wrote songs of exquisite beauty and danced to the point of ecstasy during their religious meetings. Inspired by this music and dance, choreographer Tero Saarinen created Borrowed Light, a dance piece about communal life and individual sacrifice. Shot in Finland and the United States, featuring interviews and excerpts from Borrowed Light, this documentary explore the cultural legacy of this religious group devoted to creating heaven on earth.

Rize(en)

A documentary film that highlights two street derived dance styles, Clowning and Krumping, that came out of the low income neighborhoods of L.A.. Director David LaChapelle interviews each dance crew about how their unique dances evolved. A new and positive activity away from the drugs, guns, and gangs that ruled their neighborhood. A raw film about a growing sub-culture movements in America.

BalletBoyz: Next Generation(en)

Documentary capturing the rise of all-male dance company, BalletBoyz from first auditions to a performance in Addis Ababa City Hall, Ethiopia.

Living Stars(es)

In this documentary, Argentinians dance to their favourite hits.

Megacities(en)

Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.

Pixel(fr)

At the crossroads of arts, bodies and images merge to create a world of poetry and dreams.

National Gallery(en)

A portrait of the day-to-day operations of the National Gallery of London, that reveals the role of the employees and the experiences of the Gallery's visitors. The film portrays the role of the curators and conservators; the education, scientific, and conservation departments; and the audience of all kinds of people who come to experience it.

Moto Contínuo(pt)

An immersive look at São Paulo Dance Company

The Uninhabitable Ones(pt)

A dance group rehearses for their latest performance Inabitáveis about black homosexuality. While the choreographer conducts research and gives guided tours, he meets Pedro, a young trans girl looking for her own means of expression. She desperately wants to be taught by him.

Phillips Bicycles - Publicity Films for West Africa(en)

From the West Midlands to West Africa: tour the Phillips bicycle plant in Smethwick and see the products in action overseas.

Who Gets To Be an Influencer?(en)

Chronicles the rise of Collab Crib, one of the first mainstream Black creator mansion, exclusively documenting their whirlwind drive to achieve social media stardom in 90 days.

Busby Berkeley: A Journey with a Star(en)

Profile of famed dance director Busby Berkeley's career, in particular "The Gang's All Here"

Discovering Dance On Film(en)

A celebration of extraordinary choreographed moments in a countdown of TOP 25 of the most memorable dances in cinema history.

Touched(fr)

Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, in rural Alsace. A vocational high school. A class of year 12 ASSP (Assistance, Care and Service to Person) pupils experience contemporary dancing based on improvised contacts for the first time.

Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed(en)

Released on DVD as part of The Criterion Collection's "Martha Graham: Dance on Film" collection.

Raised by Krump(en)

“Raised by Krump” explores the LA-born dance movement “krumping,” and how the dance has helped the lives of some of the area’s most influential dancers.

No Maps on My Taps(en)

The remarkable spirit of tap dancers and their history provides a joyous backdrop for intimate portraits of hoofers Sandman Sims, Chuck Green, and Bunny Briggs.

Coalesce(en)

In 2020, the World was closed. Life got cancelled. People were struggling. Here’s an emotional and entertaining true story shot live, during the pandemic, about courageous people who came together, despite the risk, to share their love with one another. The film opens in Times Square on NYE 2020. Everything seemed right with the World. Fast-forward six months into the pandemic, hundreds of artists from all different performance art genres are invited to come together over the course of several consecutive days, culminating in a group costume parade event on 10/10/2020 to witness the only live performances happening ANYWHERE. The goal was to lift each other's spirits during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. There were over a dozen genres represented including acrobatics, live music, magic, dance, and even a wedding. Dozens of unscripted live interviews were recorded and the event proved a huge success. The film captures the rawness of what it was like living during this unprecedented time.