The second floor of the National Film Board of Canada swarms with excited viewers preparing for the premiere of Surfacing, a film that fuses the creative and technical expertise of its director with the artistic vision of its choreographer.
This short film has no spoken script, yet the combination of dance and music translates into an interactive relationship on screen.
The music crescendos as two female dancers, synchronized in movement and rhythm, glide across the rugged fields and rivers of eastern Quebec. Their vibrant purple and orange clothing is juxtaposed against a lush green forest. Their movements are simple, but every jump and tumble seems carefully rehearsed and perfected.
The high definition camera zooms into Teoma Naccarato’s face, who is both Surfacing’s choreographer and star. Fully concentrated, she raises her arm and embraces her fellow dancer, Kaitlin Clipsham. Both are graduates of Concordia’s contemporary dance program, and have been working together for several years.
Surfacing is the project that Naccarato and her partner Desh Fernando, the film’s director, have been dedicating most of their time to lately.
For over five years, the pair has worked to combine their emerging interests in art, film and contemporary dance into a fledgling company, Nacando Productions.
“It’s a pretty perfect collaboration and we’re accessible to each other,” said Fernando.
Surfacing is only one of a number of short dance films created for the launch of Nacando Productions, the result of personal and artistic partnership. That partnership is evidenced by the magic created behind the camera lens.
Though Fernando and Naccarato target an audience who understand and support their vision, such as other dancers and aspiring film directors, the pair has also garnered interest outside their Concordia circle.
Apart from Surfacing, a few other short films were screened at Nacando’s launch last Friday. Among them was Lola & Me, funded by Bravo! Television and the National Film Board of Canada. It received the Istvan Kantor Award for Innovation.
And that’s really just the beginning. Fernando, who communicates the visual commentary of dance with precision, has had his fair share of successes since graduating in 2005. As an intern at Galafilm, he worked under assistant producer Michael Kronish, best known for his riveting documentaries on Cirque du Soleil.
Naccarato has performed both nationally and internationally with many Montreal choreographers and will be continuing her dance studies at Ohio State University, where she has received a full fellowship.
The couple doesn’t foresee distance being a problem. “I’ll have a few breaks in the year and when I do, I’ll come back to Montreal. It shouldn’t be a problem since I really love it here,” said Naccarato.
Surfacing premieres for the public on April 16 at the Maison de la Culture Frontenac, as part of the Vue Sur La Releve Festival.
