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A DANCE SHORT FILM

BY TIM MEYER // CHOREOGRAPHY BY BERNAT MARTÍNEZ SARDÀ // CINEMATOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER THANOS PAPAKOSTAS, DAVID KAMP AND DAVIDE DE PALO

AKILA

The Film

  • ACT ONE
    We enter the world of AKILA, following a nameless character who discovers a mirror. In this mirror, she finds something, somebody. Unsure if it is herself or someone else, she starts exploring and soon realizes that it is indeed somebody else reflected in the mirror.
    We then follow the reflected character on an expressive journey of self-discovery. Throughout this journey, we are introduced to different characters and emotions but ultimately return to the individual with whom we entered the world. Now, she is also inside of the mirror, freed from all constraints. Celebrating this new found liberation, she starts to express her true self.
    When she finishes her expression and looks into the mirror again, she sees all the other characters standing behind her, their eyes fixed on her. The group starts to run towards her as she closes her eyes in fear.

    ACT TWO
    When she opens her eyes again, she finds herself frozen in space along with all the other characters, no longer separated by the mirror portal. More and more, individuals start to temporarily glitch out of their frozen position. These glitches synchronize, as if their minds are trying to connect to one another, trying to become a unity.
    All of a sudden everybody breaks out of their freeze, displaying the unity they have built through the glitches. Through a unified choreography, they explore their connection in time and space. However, individuals still glitch out of this unity for brief moments. The movements build up to a frantic sprint, before everyone collapses onto the floor.

    ACT THREE
    When they wake up, they seem to have become one united entity, breathing in and out as one. As they rise to their feet, they acknowledge each other. Yet, they remain entangled, finding more energy for another unified, synchronized movement.
    After a while, one individual loses synchronicity, falls out of the group, and finds herself alone in space. The others suddenly reappear, now aggressive, trying to force her back into her role within the entity. She feels torn between the comfort of the group and the longing for individual freedom.
    After several attempts to free herself, she succeeds but realizes that the rest of the group is collapsing after losing a part of their group. We see the escaped individual's face, torn between the joy of freedom and the crushing guilt of causing the demise of everyone she knew.

  • In three acts, we follow the lifecycle of a hive-minded entity and its journey to discovering individuality which leads them to their inevitable demise.

Film Stills

The Cast of AKILA

The Crew behind AKILA

Behind the Scenes of AKILA

We are currently working on an official behind the scenes film about the making of AKILA. We have a lot of footage from shooting day as well as some interviews with the cast and crew. Stay tuned, it is coming soon!

Behind the Scenes Pictures

What People Are Saying

“I loved it. Using dance as a form of storytelling is very compelling if done right and I think AKILA did just that. The music composition was spot on with the tone and cinematography, everything flowed very well!”

— Chelsea Ayllon, Filmmaker