SYNOPSIS
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This short film explores identity and self-expression through the mediums of dance and fashion. We follow the journey of August, a gender-fluid person in their early twenties experiencing the mundanity of an urban, fast-paced environment. The film begins with August listening to a track of electronic dance music and immersing themselves in the audio. They are transported throughout the film to four dimensions in their mind's eye, reflecting separate versions of themself. The distinct layers of the music are performed by the different iterations of August, each exploring a corresponding movement vocabulary. The amalgamation of the separate versions of themself, and the way they dance, represents a synergy - an extended metaphor for how identity is fluid and multi-faceted.
VISION & CONCEPT
As they journey through a grey, densely populated cityscape, August finds themself transported to four dimensions. This escapism allows them to indulge in self expression and enter trance-like states of movement. The four dimensions are influenced by minimalism, in terms of visual aesthetics, framing and cuts. August’s narrative and choreographic details. are the focus. This includes distinct movement vocabularies, corresponding to certain layers of the music for each dimension. The dimensions are loosely based on the elements (Earth, Fire, Water and Air) as a visual aid for decisions on location and styling.
WHY MAKE THIS FILM?
Although there has been an increasing societal awareness of the non-conformation to the gender binary, awareness does not equate acceptance. This film aims to portray the beauty of individualism through a character who feels unrestricted by gendered norms and who uses music and movement as an outlet for their artistic expression. In echoing the words of non-binary activist Alok Vaid-Menon 'there are as many ways to be a man as there are men in the world, and as many ways to be a woman as there are women in the world’, Synergy explores the concept of one’s gender identity through dance.
Our film is also a response to the recent announcement that the Dance degree at Arts University Bournemouth will close. This is one of eleven other recent closures of BA Dance courses across the UK, all as a result of cuts to arts funding, particularly in performance based work. Synergy’s aim is to show the beauty of movement, and why urgent change to policy at Government level is necessary to secure the future of dance.
Listen to our playlist inspiring the original soundtrack: