From a French aerialist’s gender euphoria journey to a Canadian dancer’s fight against colorism and a Colombian queer refugee’s silenced asylum struggles, globally renowned drag, circus, and dance artists come together to share powerful stories of resilience in captivating manifestos. Part documentary of a creation residency, part video art, they articulate their histories through visceral movement and words, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty of human strength.
Director’s statement:
Resilience intertwines cinematography and performing arts, each serving the other. It amplifies voices typically marginalized in the arts, aiming to contribute to discussions on respect, empathy, and inclusivity. A collaboration between choreographer Claire Campbell and me, this project stems from a creative research endeavor in Montreal, Canada, that involved anthropologists, cultural mediators, curators, and the migrant community. This led to an artistic residency with invited performing artists, yielding a cinematic production. Comprising a prologue and seven manifestos presented as episodes, it forms a revealing dance documentary exploring the lives and works of its protagonists. These artists, distinguished by their unique approaches and artistic trajectories, express ideas aligned with the transformative power of movement arts. They aim to foster more diverse and inclusive societies while sparking reflections on systemic racism, invisible barriers faced by visible minorities, new diasporas, diverse identities, and more. As a refugee filmmaker based in Canada, I’ve navigated the challenges of marginalization. My own body has borne bureaucratic limbo and forced displacement. This was a significant impetus in the creation of Resilience, a project that aspires to amplify the voices historically marginalized by institutional verticality.
- Juan David Padilla Vega
In the presence of director Juan David Padilla Vega and producer Philippe-Alexandre Jacques on March 23rd in Montreal.
Director’s statement:
Resilience intertwines cinematography and performing arts, each serving the other. It amplifies voices typically marginalized in the arts, aiming to contribute to discussions on respect, empathy, and inclusivity. A collaboration between choreographer Claire Campbell and me, this project stems from a creative research endeavor in Montreal, Canada, that involved anthropologists, cultural mediators, curators, and the migrant community. This led to an artistic residency with invited performing artists, yielding a cinematic production. Comprising a prologue and seven manifestos presented as episodes, it forms a revealing dance documentary exploring the lives and works of its protagonists. These artists, distinguished by their unique approaches and artistic trajectories, express ideas aligned with the transformative power of movement arts. They aim to foster more diverse and inclusive societies while sparking reflections on systemic racism, invisible barriers faced by visible minorities, new diasporas, diverse identities, and more. As a refugee filmmaker based in Canada, I’ve navigated the challenges of marginalization. My own body has borne bureaucratic limbo and forced displacement. This was a significant impetus in the creation of Resilience, a project that aspires to amplify the voices historically marginalized by institutional verticality.
- Juan David Padilla Vega
In the presence of director Juan David Padilla Vega and producer Philippe-Alexandre Jacques on March 23rd in Montreal.
| Assistant director | Rhys Kristensen |
| Script | Juan David Padilla Vega |
| Director of Photography | Max Machado |
| Scenarisation | Dianny Moreno, Ricardo Vargas |
| Artistic Direction | Claire Campbell |
| Editing | Juan David Padilla Vega |
| Director | Juan David Padilla Vega |
| Sound mixing | Juan David Cataño |
| Music | Juan David Cataño, Simon Rivet |
In Partnership with
Present in these collections
Session
• Université Concordia - J.A. de Sève, LB-125, Pavillon J. W. McConnell
Sunday, march 23, 2025, 04:45 p.m. — 06:17 p.m.
Production
Juan David Padilla Vega
Juan David Padilla Vega is a Canadian-Colombian queer refugee artist who blends performing and visual art with documentary filmmaking in groundbreaking ways. His educational background includes a Bachelor in Audiovisual Communication and a Master’s degree in Cultural Management.
Juan’s work explores the challenges faced by minorities and diasporas, migration, and inherited memories. His acclaimed documentary, Betty, la voz del litoral Pacífico, delves into the life of Afro-Colombian opera singer Betty Garcés, while his queer saudade photography series, Nostos, Urniator, and Dor, has been featured at Cali’s International Dance Biennial and in galleries across the Americas and Europe.
With a decade of experience as Head of Audiovisuals for the Colombian Ministry of Culture, Juan created impactful documentary series like Cultura al Aire and Colombian Faces of Culture, broadcast nationwide. Now based in Montreal, he contributes to commercial projects for music and film, notably Spotify and music label Secret City Records, and serves as Director of Development for LatinArte Festival. He also founded Insondable Studio, a production company that celebrates the cultural diversity of the Americas through compelling audiovisual stories and artworks.
His latest works include his debut documentary art film “Resilience” (2024) and the installation “Titre de voyage” (2024), which appraises the personal impact of Canadian refugee processes. This latter work was recently exhibited by the City of Montreal, the Montréal Arts Council, and the Maison de la culture Claude Léveillé.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Juan’s work explores the challenges faced by minorities and diasporas, migration, and inherited memories. His acclaimed documentary, Betty, la voz del litoral Pacífico, delves into the life of Afro-Colombian opera singer Betty Garcés, while his queer saudade photography series, Nostos, Urniator, and Dor, has been featured at Cali’s International Dance Biennial and in galleries across the Americas and Europe.
With a decade of experience as Head of Audiovisuals for the Colombian Ministry of Culture, Juan created impactful documentary series like Cultura al Aire and Colombian Faces of Culture, broadcast nationwide. Now based in Montreal, he contributes to commercial projects for music and film, notably Spotify and music label Secret City Records, and serves as Director of Development for LatinArte Festival. He also founded Insondable Studio, a production company that celebrates the cultural diversity of the Americas through compelling audiovisual stories and artworks.
His latest works include his debut documentary art film “Resilience” (2024) and the installation “Titre de voyage” (2024), which appraises the personal impact of Canadian refugee processes. This latter work was recently exhibited by the City of Montreal, the Montréal Arts Council, and the Maison de la culture Claude Léveillé.
Biographical notes provided by the film production team
Titre de voyage (2024)
Betty Garcés, the voice of pacific littoral (2020)
Betty Garcés, the voice of pacific littoral (2020)
In the same session
Université Concordia - J.A. de Sève, LB-125, Pavillon J. W. McConnell
Sunday, march 23, 2025, 04:45 p.m.
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