Bodies in motion
A programme of films on art for Paris 2024

Looking forward to the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, and in connection with the exhibition “Composition for an ensemble, or The Spirit of The Games“, the Canadian Cultural Centre is offering a selection of films from the programme of recent editions of the the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art. For 40 years, FIFA has been dedicated to promoting and raising the international profile of film on art and the media arts in Canada.

This “Bodies in Motion” programme is eclectic, sensitive and resilient, open to the world and to Indigenous cultures and realities. The works brought together have universal values in common – such as sharing with others or our complex relationship with nature and the world. Through poetry, dance, art and movement, they all give us a glimpse of the possibility of emancipation and empowerment. 

This programme will be screened on several occasions at the Canadian Cultural Centre throughout the spring and summer. More information to follow:

• For the European Museum Night – Saturday, May 18 at 7pm and 8.30pm
• On Saturday, July 20 at 5pm

For any French cultural institution wishing to screen this programme before or during PARIS 2024, please contact the Canadian Cultural Centre: christele.albert[a]international.gc.ca 

Programme (72 minutes)

Pendulum by Manuel Mathieu
Canada, 2023 (11 min) – Without dialogue
41st edition of the FIFA – Best Short Film Prize, FIFA 2023

Pendulum is Haitian multidisciplinary artist Manuel Mathieu​’s first film. It depicts the search for an equilibrium between the past and an uncertain future. A woman knowledge keeper carries on her shoulders her most precious legacy: the liberation of her soul. This legacy sets in motion a spiritual choreography in which a group of men master their own freedom as they confront the complexities of their humanity. In the midst of this perpetual exorcism, they assimilate their liberation under a shower of white comets. What will remain of their essence? A new day begins.

Clochettes de l’espoir by Taylor Crowspreadshiswings
Canada, 2020 (4 min) – English with French subtitles
39th edition of the FIFA – Official Selection

With great sensitivity, this short film based on a true story speaks to the resilience that comes through dance. Directed by Taylor, a woman of Blackfoot and Sioux origin, the film reminds us that this art form is not just about folklore; it can be a way to overcome adversity, connect with our spirituality, and find inner peace. Now a mother, Taylor is determined to preserve her experience and to protect the traditions that have shaped her, such as powwows and sewing. An intimate story of personal transformation and the path to healing.

Sneak up by Raymond Caplin
Canada, 2020 (3 min) – Without dialogue
39th edition of the FIFA – Official Selection

A ​“sneak up” is a traditional song and dance performed at a powwow. The dancers’ movements recall those of past warriors who would slip behind enemy lines to launch an attack, and the traditional dance features slow steps and head movements that reflect the importance of observation, made in time with the music. In this film, dancers adorned in traditional dress are captured via rotoscoping — a type of animation that lends a sense of volatility, highlighting the special significance of every movement.

L’Innu du futur by Stéphane Nepton
Canada, 2021 (5 min 40) – French
41st edition of the FIFA 

“I am part of this generation of natives who have always lived in the city. I live a duality. I am part of two worlds.” This is how the director Stéphane Nepton transports us into his world, sharing with us the two aspects of his duality of identity as an urban native. It is an ode to the power of the land, its influence on our soul and how it can guide our lives. With a compelling narrative, this film offers a unique perspective on the relationship between man and nature, and reminds us of the importance of protecting and celebrating the land around us.

Odehimin / Baie du coeur by Kijâtai-Alexandra Veillette-Cheezo
Canada, 2020 (2 min 45) – French
41st edition of the FIFA 

Odehimin is the ability to reconnect with yourself and relearn how to love yourself. Artist and activist Kijâtai was born in Val-d’Or to a nonnative mother and a native father from the Anishnabe nation. Through their short films, they approach indigenous realities by using images and sounds in a poetic way.

Mirages by Xavier Curnillon
Canada, 2022 (7 min 20) – Without dialogue
41st edition of the FIFA, 2023 – Official Selection

Explore the deepest details of the human body with a whole new proximity. In this experimental short film, Québec choreographer Emmanuel Jouthe, French filmmaker Xavier Curnillon, and Québec composer Antoine Berthiaume capture the organic dimension of human bodies in a true testimony to the body’s strengths, beauty, and diversity.

Riopelle était non-binaire by Aimé Majeau Beauchamp
Canada, 2023 (5 min) – French – English subtitles
41st edition of the FIFA, 2023 

Through a fictional dialogue with Jean Paul Riopelle, this experimental film updates the painter’s heritage by seeking to build bridges with today’s generation. Between a tribute and a self-portrait, Riopelle was non-binary is above all an intimate reflection on the courage to be oneself.

Life Is A Circus by Jean Luc Oicle
Canada, 2022 (13 min 45) – English, Spanish, Portuguese – French subtitles
41st edition of the FIFA –

Turning street rubbish into ephemeral art galleries, exploring your Indigenous identity by merging with nature, thwarting the codes of a centuries-old artistic medium? Anything goes when you let your mind run free. Through the eyes of Cirque du Soleil, discover a stunning series that will take you on a journey around the globe, from Montreal to La Paz, via New York and Manaus.

Axiomata by Béatriz Mediavilla
Canada, 2021 (20 min) – Without dialogue
40th edition of the FIFA 

Directed by Beatriz Mediavilla, winner of FIFA’s Best Canadian Film Award in 2021, this dance film explores what is universal in all of us. Regardless of our skin colour, origins, gender, or age, we are all bodies in motion. This short film presents three choreographies, created in situ in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, that explore Newton​’s laws of movement and the way they are common to everyone.

In partnership with the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art.

As part of the programme for the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad.