Speech at Cinedance 2014
Between entrance and Exit 2013 Speech at Cinedance 2014
In 2014 I was the guest of the year at the Cinedans festival in Amsterdam, I gave there the following speech:
For two years the choreographer Jiri Kylian and I worked on the script for the dance-film ‘Between entrance and exit’. Every time a version of the script was ready, Jiri told me that there is a possibility that things will change during the rehearsal period. I think that ‘things’ - in this case - is an understatement. Basically the whole film was rewritten or better said; recreated in the weeks we rehearsed with the dancers.
In 2014 I was the guest of the year at the Cinedans festival in Amsterdam, I gave there the following speech:
For two years the choreographer Jiri Kylian and I worked on the script for the dance-film ‘Between entrance and exit’. Every time a version of the script was ready, Jiri told me that there is a possibility that things will change during the rehearsal period. I think that ‘things’ - in this case - is an understatement. Basically the whole film was rewritten or better said; recreated in the weeks we rehearsed with the dancers.
Maybe this is the big difference between dance and film. When I write a script for cinema or television, everything is defined as much as possible in the script; The dialogue, the mise en scene, the order of scènes. For a dance film this is not possible; the way the dancers communicate are defined in the choreography. - And this choreography has to be created on the rehearsal floor. Of course I knew that everything would change, we worked already for several years together. And to be honest I was looking forward to this ‘not knowing’ what’s going to happen. Each time a choreographer and a director join forces they will to it in their own unique way and our way of co-operating is not a template how it should be. But what for me is so special in our proces of creating that Jiri and I decided to invite the other - without reservation - in our proces of creating. Jiri decided NOT to rehearse without me being present, and I decided to shoot and edit each day of rehearsal so I could show him - in a rough way - the proces of defining the camera positions and the editing. The longer we work together, the more we become aware of the big differences between being a choreographer and a filmmaker. And to get the full potential out of these two total different art-forms we had to re-invent our craft. We had to re-invent the way we work and communicate. And as I said before, each collaaboration between a choreographer and filmmaker is unique and there is not ONE way to do it. But I know one thing for sure; if it is possible for both to step out of their safezones, if they put away their ego’s and try to band up in a way that they really feel DEPENDANT of each other - in a positive way. I promise you, it’s gonna be an adventure to remember. I want to thank Cinedance for inviting me and give the public the opportunity to see the films I made I with Jiri Kylian, Shusaku Takeuchi and composer Han Otten. Thank you very much and enjoy the festival..