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Cunningham
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Cunningham
IDFA 2019

Cunningham

Alla Kovgan
United States
2019
93 min
Dutch Premiere
Festival history

Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) didn’t like to be referred to as avant-garde, just as a dancer. The influential dancer and choreographer saw dance simply as a matter of “people moving around in various ways.” He also felt it shouldn’t be charged with meaning, but that interpretation should be left to the viewer. This restraint contrasted sharply with Cunningham’s inexhaustible energy for exploration over his 70-year career. He merged elements from classical and modern dance, and because he thought any movement of the human body could be incorporated into dance, he believed that anyone could be a dancer.

In this documentary, Cunningham’s radical views and intense curiosity are captured inventively in words and images. Monologues and interviews with Cunningham and the people with whom he worked accompany an eclectic montage of archive footage and dance excerpts, which 3D technology makes all the more surprising. We also frequently hear from the composer John Cage, in whom Cunningham found not only a professional soulmate, but also the love of his life.

Credits
Director
Production
    Helge Albers,
    Ilann Girard for Arsam International
Co-production
    DocWorks,
    Chance Operations
    DocWorks,
    Chance Operations
Cinematography
    Mko Malkhasyan
    Mko Malkhasyan
Sound Design
    Francis Wargnier
    Francis Wargnier
Music
    Volker Bertelmann
    Volker Bertelmann
Screening copy
    Dogwoof
    Dogwoof
World Sales
    Dogwoof
    Dogwoof
Distribution for the Netherlands
    Cherry Pickers
    Cherry Pickers

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