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ScreenDance Diaries

A Ghostly Duet in Spiegelingen

By Sarah Elgart on April 16, 2014 inArchitectureDanceFilmTV + Web

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An abandoned building, a man, and an intrepid ghost in a striped dress…These are the aspects of Spiegelingen, a wonderful, longer short film that I first saw when reviewing submissions for Dance Camera West last year. Part comical and part eerie, this short has a narrative quality yet maintains a loose story line, inviting the viewer to fill in the blanks for herself.

Jorge Morro dances with abandon

Jorge Morro dances with abandon

Beautifully shot in an old European building that is at once run down and grand, Spiegelingen follows a man as he faces his fears while dancing through the rooms of the building to a changing series of tunes from a static spewing boom box, each tune suggesting a different mood, genre, and era of dance. When seemingly out of nowhere, a woman in a striped dress appears – her face always hidden behind a mane of long hair – and dances a semi-violent and physically demanding duet with him, we’re appropriately unsure whether this dance is happening in the rooms of the building or in the man’s head. The dancer Jorge Morro’s face is so expressive, vulnerable, and honest, that we are immediately taken by and rooting for him on his short hero’s journey. I love how this film is so strong yet porous, engaging the audience in wondering what will happen in the loose narrative next without a single word being spoken. Spiegelingen is directed by Marinus Groothof, with choreography (and ghost dance) by Dunja Jocic, and really strong editing by Juriaan Van Nimwegen. Please enjoy.

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Tagsdancedunja jocicjuriaan van nimwegenmarinus groothofshort filmspiegelingen

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About the author

Sarah Elgart

Founder/Director of Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival, Sarah Elgart is a Los Angeles based choreographer and director working under the auspice of Sarah Elgart | Arrogant Elbow. Sarah creates original content for stage, screen, and site-specific venues. Her stage and site-works have been performed at alternative spaces including LAX Airport, The Skirball Center, Mark Taper Forum, Van Nuys Flyaway, The Bradbury Building, Jacob’s Pillow, INSITU Site-Specific Festival NY, and Loft Seven, where she created a rooftop work lit entirely by a hovering helicopter accompanied by Nels Cline (Wilco). Her work has been produced by venues including The Music Center, MASS MoCA, Dance Place, Los Angeles Theater Center, Mark Taper Forum and The International Women’s Theater Festival. In film Sarah has worked with noted directors including JJ Abrams, David Lynch, Catherine Hardwicke, and Anton Corbijn. Her own films include award-winning music videos, dance shorts, and an Emmy nominated PSA, and continue to be accepted into festivals internationally. In addition to teaching dance and film, Sarah writes a regular column, ScreenDance Diaries that focuses on the intersections of both genres internationally for online magazine Cultural Weekly. Sarah’s work has received support from organizations that include the Rockefeller Foundation, the NEA, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, California Arts Council and more. She is an alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Dance Film Lab, a Fellow of AFI’s Directing Women’s Workshop, and a director member of the DGA.

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