Bodies are the carnal envelopes that physically anchor human beings to the earth and make them palpable masses, capable of feeling both internally and externally.
Temples, incarnation of divine powers, canon of beauty and instruments of research of progress, the bodies were also objects of occultations, exploitation in the name of the difference and finally repressed for some of their capacities. However when the mouths are forbidden to be noisy, bodies don’t necessarily manage to remain silent. The suffering, the joy, the anger, the sadness, the love… manifest themselves in a chemical way and run through the body from thrill to movement.
When a body dances in a society, it’s an intelligible language, to say inaudible words of the hidden forces of a nation.
Léna Blou, professional dancer and choreographer from Guadeloupe, TedxPointeàPitre, 2015
This week’s selection proposes stories where body expression is a tool for liberation, or even a way to access an invisible, almost divine part of ourselves.
Être et Faire et Être, is the name of the project where Mackenzy Bergile offers a performance full of vulnerability and softness. The first video introduces us to the artist and his universe, which becomes clearer in the second, where his body expresses itself with movements mixing hip hop and traditional Haitian dance.
In Everblessed (name in reference to Vybz Kartel) we are transported to Jamaica where we discover dancehall from a totally new angle. In this short documentary, it’s a question of the parallel between dancehall and church, because for some people the pleasure and the investment put in dancing, sharing, having fun in community is comparable to a spiritual practice.
Finding freedom in movement, being free to move… This is the theme of this production by Anna Fearon, where non-binary performers question their bodies and their ability to express themselves through it. Movement in stillness is about passing restrictions to reconnect to oneself.
To close this selection, here is a clip from the film Freda, by Gessica Généus, which illustrates the well known situation of the occultation of parties by the old generation influenced by religion, who doen’t understand youth’s love for night and parties. We find this familiar, sensual atmosphere that sometimes characterizes caribbeans parties and offers a break with the daily life, a refuge where time is momentarily suspended. The bodies are in contact in a very particular way, unconsciously rebellious.