Navigation
Marlene Millar
This film is presented during the event Danced Films and Society: For a New Impact on March 17, 2022 at McCord Museum.
Navigation is the sixth film in the Migration Dance Film Project by filmmaker Marlene Millar and choreographer Sandy Silva. Set in the spectacular Burren region of the west coast of Ireland, this work explores how we navigate unknown terrain, through which emerge themes of survival and perseverance, departure and renewal. Rhythms, movement, vocals, landscape, and silence define and embody this exploration, featuring the performances of ten dancers/singers and an Irish community choir of 40 participants, whose deeply collaborative relationship is palpable. A powerful cinematographic journey filmed in black and white, shaped by the nuanced dynamic, emotion, and precision of this percussive dance.
Navigation is the sixth film in the Migration Dance Film Project by filmmaker Marlene Millar and choreographer Sandy Silva. Set in the spectacular Burren region of the west coast of Ireland, this work explores how we navigate unknown terrain, through which emerge themes of survival and perseverance, departure and renewal. Rhythms, movement, vocals, landscape, and silence define and embody this exploration, featuring the performances of ten dancers/singers and an Irish community choir of 40 participants, whose deeply collaborative relationship is palpable. A powerful cinematographic journey filmed in black and white, shaped by the nuanced dynamic, emotion, and precision of this percussive dance.
Overview of some festivals:
International Festival of Film on Art, Best Short Film Award, Canada (2020)
Moving Body Festival, Best Film Award, Bulgaria (2020)
InShadow, Best Group Performance Award, Portugal (2020)
Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, Best Film Award, Romania (2020)
Fuori Formato, Stories We Dance, Best Film & Audience Award, Italy, (2020)
International Festival of Film on Art, Best Short Film Award, Canada (2020)
Moving Body Festival, Best Film Award, Bulgaria (2020)
InShadow, Best Group Performance Award, Portugal (2020)
Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, Best Film Award, Romania (2020)
Fuori Formato, Stories We Dance, Best Film & Audience Award, Italy, (2020)
| Director | Marlene Millar |
| Participation | Lismorahaun Singers |
| Editing | Jules De Niverville |
| Choreography | Sandy Silva |
| Cast | Sandy Silva, Bobby Thompson, Kimberly Robin, Hélène Lemay, Isaac Endo, Afia Douglas, Dominic Desrochers, David Cronkite, Sonia Clarke, Andrew Bathory |
| Sound mixing | Félix Boisvert |
| Cinematography | Kes Tagney |
| Music | Jean Fréchette, Sandy Silva |
Image tirée du film Navigation // Image from the film Navigation
Image tirée du film Navigation // Image from the film Navigation
Image tirée du film Navigation // Image from the film Navigation
Production
Marlene Millar
For over 30 years filmmaker Marlene Millar has created dance films, documentaries and experimental media productions. In 2019, her expansive career was honoured at a retrospective solo-exhibit at Threshold Artspace, Perth, UK. The process-driven continuum of the Migration Dance Film Project series (including Pilgrimage, Traverse, Navigation), produced/directed by Millar and produced/choreographed by Sandy Silva, has garnered over 25 awards and prizes internationally. Their films come to life as Millar and Silva transpose the choreography to the screen and Millar creates a poignant visual language that reveals the intricacies of these issue-driven, performative stories. Since 2000, Marlene has co-created a critically acclaimed collection of dance media work with Philip Szporer through their company, MOUVEMENT PERPÉTUEL. Their award-winning films have been widely circulated at events including: Festival International du film sur l’art – Hommage à Mouvement Perpétuel : 20 ans de création (FIFA 2020), World Exhibition in Shanghai, 2010 Cultural Olympics. Millar’s installation works explore alternative forms of screens, capturing metaphoric histories and docu-fiction resonances — notably in the recent video installation WITNESS. A prolific educator and mentor, Millar has taught filmmaking across continents at institutes such as Centre Imagine (Burkina Faso), Malakta (Finland), Impulstanz (Vienna) and throughout Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Selected films:
Wamunzo en paroles, Wamunzo en creation (2019)
Traverse (2018)
Bhairava (2017)
Pilgrimage & Move (2017)
Wamunzo en paroles, Wamunzo en creation (2019)
Traverse (2018)
Bhairava (2017)
Pilgrimage & Move (2017)
You would like
![[d]eux](https://lefifa.com/uploads/images/deux/_filmMedium/deux_6.jpg)
