Citations and critical raveS

Bhairava

Photo Credit: Kes Tagney — Photo Credit: Kes Tagney

"
A film of great elegance, centered on an exceptional performer. Shantala Shivalingappa… is able to compete inside the image and within this majestic landscape, and makes the landscape move with her. The cinematography is beautiful but never intrudes into the experience; the sound connects the dancer with the ground she dances on; the film skilfully weaves together its elements to create a beautiful portrait of a dancer.

/ Cinedans, Amsterdam, March 2018 /

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A powerful integration of the elements of performance, music and film, Bhairava is a captivating window into something both ancient and alive.

/ Light Moves Festival, Limerick, Ireland, November 2017 /

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Creating a vivid incarnation of the deity, [Shantala Shivalingappa] alternates between moments of accurate symbolic gestures or mudras and abstract body language. The eccentric energy of the ancient site of Hampi, coupled with a phenomenal and deeply reminiscent musical score, recreate the omnipresent persona of the supreme being.

/ The Dance Current /

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The perfect combination of editing, music and dance was really impressive: the dancer [Shantala Shivalingappa] reacted to every drum hit, her body was perfectly subordinated to the music, and at the same time the way of lighting, camera settings, selection of open air and editing techniques turned the film into a small masterpiece.

/ Taniec Polska /

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To say that the work of Mouvement Perpétuel is ubiquitous in the screen dance festival world is an understatement but it is surely a testament to their experienced approach to visual storytelling and highly attuned production skills. Intensely rhythmical edit in this film reflects the amazing physical and technical skill of Shantala Shivalingappa. In "Bhairava" Marlene Millar and Philip Szporer have created another classic work.

/ SCREENDANCE FESTIVAL, Stockholm, Sweden – April 2018 /

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The film is dazzling in how it frames and balances the solo dancing body with vast landscapes; Shivalingappa is a fine performer who is able to hold focus and not let our eyes wander. In many screen dance works the landscape overshadows and unbalances both the performer and choreography but Millar and Szporer allow the nuance, focus and detail of Shivalingappa’s kuchipudi technique to be equal to the majesty of the locations in Hampi and Anegundi.

/ Jon AbBott /