FF for DCW: Bella Documentary

02/22/23 • 25 min

Frameform is back in session and we’re kicking the season off with a collaboration! Earlier this year, we joined forces with Dance Camera West, by interviewing 4 selected filmmakers who were screening at this year’s 2023 fest.

First in line, Hannah chats with director/producer Bridget Murnane, celebrating her first feature documentary “Bella,” a biopic championing the life of California’s own, Bella Lewitzky. Murnane discusses her experience tracking, collecting, and building a story from archives, while reflecting her passion for sharing Bella’s life work for art and performance. “Bella” has been quite the success so far this year and is making its rounds in the festival circuit. So be on the lookout for a screening near your neck of the woods– you don’t want to miss this.

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Watch the Bella Trailer

Keep up with the Bella doc and subscribe to the newsletter!

Follow Bridget Murnane and Bella on IG!

Follow Dance Camera West

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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@frameformpod

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Watch the Bella Trailer

Keep up with the Bella doc and subscribe to the newsletter!

Follow Bridget Murnane and Bella on IG!

Follow Dance Camera West

–

Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

–

@frameformpod

Previous Episode

Beyond Spectacle : The Fits

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*
We’ve made it to the annual Beyond Spectacle episode which means our feature presentation today is our last viewing of the year.

But before we wrap up on season 3 of Frameform, we’re screening Anna Rose Holmer’s 2015 indie feature, “The Fits.” A story taken place outside of Cincinnati, Ohio following 11-year-old Toni, a tomboy who struggles to fit into her new dance troupe while experiencing an epidemic of violent fits amongst the team. As we follow Toni’s day to day routine– boxing with her brother, filling water canteens, and observing the next door dance team, Toni is captivated by the freedom of expression that dance offers outside of boxing. In this film, Holmer’s cast completely features a playbill cast of non-actor dancers from Cincinnati’s Q Kidz Dance Team after discovering their talents on YouTube.

Watch the film before you download this episode, because we’re full of spoilers today.

ADDITIONAL READINGS

Screendance Journal Article (Dis/Orientation: Rhythmic Bodies and Corporeal Orature in The Fits)

How Did You Create aDirector/Actress Interview: Coming-of-Age Portrait Through Dance

The Transcendant Gaze

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Thanks to all who have been tuning in all season! We appreciate our audience and your support. If you have any ideas for topics for future episodes, please let us know! We love crowd-sourced recommendations because you too are a part of this ongoing conversation! We’re always available by email at [email protected]

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Next Episode

FF for DCW: Samantha Shay

This week, Clare speaks with Samantha Shay, a multidisciplinary artist and founder of the international production company Source Material, who is currently in residence at Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. Samantha outlines her unique path to dance film and shines a light on her research and engagement with Pina Bausch’s work. She also discusses the process (and some funny anecdotes) of the creation of her film Mother Melancholia, a film that approaches patriarchal politics and eco-feminism through an unguarded, unsettlingly beautiful meditation.

Mother Melancholia continues its festival run along with Samantha’s newest work, Romance. This film is another collaboration with dancers from Tanztheater Wuppertal and will premiere at Cinedans in late March. This episode is a part of a series in collaboration with Dance Camera West, featuring interviews with 4 selected filmmakers who were screening at this year’s 2023 fest.

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Watch the Mother Melancholia Trailer

Follow Samantha Shay on IG

Follow Dance Camera West

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Got a question? Email us at [email protected]

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