Toronto-based, award-winning dancer, teacher, and choreographer Joanna De Souza takes us through her journey as a non-South Asian dancer in the classical dance form of Kathak.
Related Movies
Aka and Daffla Dances (1934)
A stunning display by Nyishi tribesmen from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern India.
Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath (1946)
Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath.
Delhi to the North West Frontier (1935)
Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad.
Rajputana, Jhalawar, Bundi & Katakali Dancers (1940)
A trip to the spectacular city of Bundi and a Kathakali dance performance, filmed in vivid colour.
The World of Vija Vētra (2008)
This documentary tells the fascinating story of Vija Vetra, a world-renowned Latvian dancer, choreographer and teacher. At the age of 84, Vetra remains a vital and creative force, and her tale offers inspiration for both artists and lovers of the arts. In a career spanning seven decades, she has mastered diverse styles ranging from ballet to traditional Indian dance, and her talent has won her acclaim as a 'spirit in human form' and 'the bridge between East and West.' Her life is a celebration of the power and beauty of the art of dance, but is also a powerful story of struggle, loneliness and sacrifice. Her creative , positive spirit stands alone against a materialistic world that is constantly changing. Her wise soul, her point of view and criticism towards the modern world push us to think about secret meanings, symbols and the simplicity of life.
Trip to Manipur (1935)
Amateur film of a road trip through northeastern India, showing traditional dances and a gigantic flower float.
Vaikhari (2018)
Vaikhari, which in Sanskrit means intelligent and articulate utterances, primarily focusses on "padhant" which is the art of recitation of mnemonic syllables used in Hindusthani Classical Music and Dance. The film incorporates different artistic streams in allusion to padhant, thereby aiming at a profound aesthetic experience of rhythmic utterances in its multiple manifestations. Kalidasa's immortal Meghdootam serves a template for narrative development while creating a realm of different temporal designs fabricated by various rhythmic elements (percussion, dance) where padhant lies at the nucleus of contemplation and subsequent artistic expansion.
Ci-Mi (2008)
The film tells the story of two brothers, Ji and Mi, who were separated for many years and found each other after 20 years.
Marathon (1965)
A documentary record of the effort that marathon runners make. The camera focuses on two runners: Benedict Gugala and Marian Jurczynski, who claim victory after 2 hours 37 minutes and 9 seconds.
First Shift (1963)
Documentary record of the first shift in Wujek coal mine in Silesia in 1962. We observe the course of events from the perspective of the mine's dispatcher at a modern desktop. We see one man, but the whole first shift crew is working.
I’m Looking at Your Photo (1979)
A documentary film composed of private photographs taken from prisoners of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The authors use them to build a story, full of carelessness but also growing tension, about the end of the 1930s, the last days before the outbreak of war.
The Birth of a City (1959)
On the 10th anniversary of Nowa Huta, documentary filmmakers go back to the beginnings of the town's construction and the conglomerate, using archival footage from the Polish Film Chronicle. The city is born to the rhythm of seven days of creation, and the jubilee is celebrated by children - its peers and former builders.
Drawn from Memory (1995)
Fierlinger concentrates his considerable talents as an animator to recount through fragmented memories, vivid recollections, and the occasional evocative photograph his life as the rebellious son of Jan Fierlinger, Czechoslovakian career politician.
Piran Underground (2021)
A docudrama set during winter period in the Slovenian coastal town of Piran.
Goya: The Secret of the Shadows (2011)
Ramón, an art photographer, buys a painting in an auction house in Barcelona, a 19th century anonymous portrait that, according to him and the experts who advise him, is a work by Goya, a Goya in the shadows. A contemporary and personal journey through the world of art, the universe of Francisco de Goya and his extraordinary legend.
Solomon Yogalates: Total Body Toner (NaN)
Louise Solomon's logical blend of pilates and yoga in the original Yogalates was presented as a tool for weight loss aimed at professional women. The Australian expert's second offering Yogalates: Total Body Toner is a curiously--and most definitely welcome--softer approach. Although billed as a total body toner, the graceful Solomon ensures that this is no pounding quick-fix. Far from glossing over details crucial to both pilates and yoga (namely an understanding of one's anatomy and breathing), Solomon creates a fundamental respect for the body by attaching great importance to detail. It's an attitude which benefits newcomers, without alienating the more advanced. Similarly, seamless editing that cuts to less advanced positions is helpful for beginners without being intrusive to others.
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2015)
A documentary about Caroll Spinney who has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969. At 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
Love Hotel (2014)
Pensioners, lawyers, married couples and teenagers are all customers at the Angel Love Hotel in Osaka Japan. With unprecedented access into one of the most private and anonymous spaces in Japanese society, this film follows the love hotel's struggling manager and staff as the try to keep their hotel running, as well as revealing the intimate and private lives of the customers who visit.