CUNNINGHAM WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ALLA KOVGAN Opens Friday, December
13 12:30 2:30 4:40 7:00 9:10 Alla Kovgan’s
CUNNINGHAM makes elegant use of 3D technology to bring to life the
work of legendary choreographer and dancer, Merce Cunningham
(1919-2009) in this, his centennial year. Not unlike Wim Wenders’s
approach to Pina Bausch, the film embraces 3D to great effect,
featuring stunning excerpts from iconic Cunningham dances, performed
by the last generation of his dancers. On camera, some of his original
acolytes (notably Carolyn Brown) accompany archival footage that
features Merce, composer John Cage (his partner in life as well as in
creation), and their collaborator Robert Rauschenberg who designed
costumes, sets, and lighting for such dances as Interscape,
Summerspace, and Crises. CUNNINGHAM is a thrilling tribute to a man
The New York Times described in his final years as “the world’s
greatest living choreographer” and the “American modern dance
equivalent of Nijinsky.” – Alastair Macaulay Presented with
support from the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation Fund.
FRANCE/GERMANY/USA 2019 93 MINS. MAGNOLIA PICTURES
“A definitive study of choreographer Merce Cunningham turns the air
itself into something tactile, sliced by angular, precise movements.
Your takeaway is a tangible appreciation for an innovator of both mind
and body.” – Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York “A knockout.
Uses 3D to thrilling effect. What Kovgan's utterly transporting film
does, through a thoughtful and dynamic combination of curated material
and new performances, is radiate the rapturous power of dance. A rich,
intricate collage. The director fluidly interweaves the archival
material — some of it never seen publicly until now — with
inspired reimaginings of pieces that debuted between 1942 and
1972… performed by the last generation of the troupe, bringing this
unconventional and unexpectedly moving portrait full circle.” –
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter “Moscow-born filmmaker Alla
Kovgan’s CUNNINGHAM is what an artform celebrating the very nature
and a practitioner of another artform should look and feel like.
Demand[s] to be seen on the largest screen possible. Shot in glorious
3D that makes the technical mode feel indispensable… Kovgan’s ode
to choreography master Merce Cunningham is sensational in every sense
of the word. A piece of filmmaking so euphoric in its purpose that you
could almost imagine it making Cunningham beam.” – Tomris Laffly,
Variety
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27/12/2019 Last update