Bare

Bare
Director: Aleksandr M. Vinogradov | 90 min | 2020 | Belgium

*** Contains nudity ***

In a world that's ever more controlled by big government and big data, and where privacy has become a rare commodity, the last place we can be ourselves and have freedom is in our own bodies.

Director Aleksandr Vinogradov's observational documentary focuses on Belgian choreographer Thierry Smits' creation of a dance performance. The approach is a difficult one because there are so many clichéd rehearsal-to-opening-night films already, so it's important to find a unique angle.

Thierry Smits' 'Anima Ardens (Burning Soul)' finds that unique angle in its cast – eleven naked men.

The rehearsal process reveals artistic conflicts between dancers and choreographer, and personal challenges which affect individuals during several months of building the dance piece.

This ephemeral tribe, simultaneously individuals and a homogeneous group, aims towards a collective intense emotional climax, a poetic fury that propels the dancers to a place of freedom – a place where even the audience will feel liberated.

'Bare' combines intimate rehearsal footage with extended, breathtaking dance sequences.