Percussive Illusions
Co-presented with Musiqa
Saturday, January 12, 7:30PM
Location: Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Zilkha Hall, 800 Bagby
Tickets available at http://www.musiqahouston.org
(use code "FILM" for Aurora discount)
Musiqa and Aurora Picture Show unite for our annual partnership to present an evening of contemporary music and experimental film. Musiqa's first 2013 concert will feature works by Musiqa's Artistic Board and highlight a performance by the award-winning University of Houston Percussion Ensemble. The concert includes Marcus Maroney's dynamic work "Pantheon" and a world premiere by Artistic Director Anthony Brandt. As a tribute to John Cage's 100th birthday, the concert will feature his iconic work, Third Construction in Metal, in addition to music by Lukas Ligeti and Thierry DeMay.
Films include motion, music and humor with a gravity defying dance film, Wall Work by Thierry De Mey whose music is also featured in the concert; Left or Right for Love by Magali Charrier, an experimental dance film about a motionless man and a weightless woman; and Mr. Foley by Mike Ahern and Edna Loughman about a man who wakes up to a world that is completely silent, except for the team of musicians and sound effect artists who are providing the live accompaniment to his life.
The following films are included in this program:
Left or Right for Love, Magali Charrier, 6:27min, 2006
Director Magali Charrier and choreographer Maria Lloyd worked together to create the story and choreography for experimental dance film Left or Right for Love. The inspiration was a meeting of two ideas: Charrier wanted to explore the possible responses of individuals when surrounded by white and Lloyd experiment with gravity while constructing a meeting between a motionless man and a weightless woman (played by Lloyd). Director Magali Charrier and choreographer Maria Lloyd worked together to create the story and choreography for experimental dance film Left or Right for Love. The inspiration was a meeting of two ideas: Charrier wanted to explore the possible responses of individuals when surrounded by white and Lloyd experiment with gravity while constructing a meeting between a motionless man and a weightless woman (played by Lloyd). Left or Right for Love won best experimental animation film at the Norwich International Animation Film festival.
Mr. Foley, D.A.D.D.Y., 4:50min, 2010
A darkly funny but nightmarish scenario, a man wakes up in hospital with a group of sound artists soundtracking his life. Mr. Foley won Best Short Film at the San Francisco United Short Film Festival, Best in Festival at the Fastnet Short Film Festival, Ireland, Best ‘Sound-Scape’ Award from the European Centre for the Arts at Dresden Film Festival, Germany, Best Film 2010 Short Short Story Film Festival, Rhode Island, Best Musical, Amsterdam Film Festival, and Best Film Audience Prize Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival.
Wall Work, Thierry De Mey, 2:00, 2000
This film is a true technical feat since the dancers (and camera) defy the laws of gravity by moving along the sheer cliff face thanks to a rigging system holding them by the waist. The choreography turns the spectator’s points of reference upside down, supported in this vertiginous enterprise by the choice of viewpoints. But very quickly, the rapid editing leaves the acrobatic performance and attaches itself to the movements of a choreography as rigorous as it is inventive.
Left or Right for Love by Magali Charrier
ABOUT MUSIQA
Led by five composers, Musiqa's mission is to enrich and inspire the community through programs that integrate contemporary music with other modern art-forms. With its innovative collaborations and educational programming, Musiqa strives to make modern repertoire accessible and vital to audiences of all ages and musical backgrounds.
FILMMAKER BIOS
Magali Charrier
Magali Charrier is an award winning director, animator and video editor whose work has been toured and broadcast throughout the world and she is based in London. Her background in fine arts, animation and dance gives her a highly sought-after and distinctive style often incorporating film and animation. She is the recipient of numerous awards (VideoDansa Prize, Barcelona; NAHEMI Award at Encounters Film Festival, Bristol, Best Dance Film at CineDans Festival, Amsterdam and more) and bursaries from Channel4, BBC4 and the Arts Council. Her skills include video coverage, video editing, film directing, animation and content for live video projections.
D.A.D.D.Y.
Irish filmmaking duo Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman (D.A.D.D.Y.) have directed both animated and live action music videos, short films and TV commercials. Their music video work in particular has gathered a cult following both in Ireland and abroad. Mike & Enda have been invited to talk and showcase their animated work in National Film Theatre in London, as well as to speak to filmmakers and designers in Copenhagen, Dublin, Limerick & Belfast. They have directed high profile music videos for many bands; recently Bloc Party, Jape and Super Furry Animals. D.A.D.D.Y. music videos have been playlisted on MTV in the UK, Europe and US as well as being selected for various film festivals from internationally renowned Resfest to the Irish Darklight Film Festival. Their recent video for Jape’s track ‘floating’ has had over a million hits on Youtube. 2009 saw the release of IFB funded and awarding winning ‘Mr. Foley’ which DADDY wrote and directed.
Tierry de Mey
Thierry De Mey is a musician and filmmaker from Belgium. After studying film at the IAD, he continued studying music composition and contemporary dance after meeting Fernand Schirren, for whose works he has written original incidental music. He works primarily with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vandekeybus and Michèle Anne De Mey, his youngest sister. He is the founder of the contemporary music ensemble Maximalist!, and he has participated in other important projects such as New Music and Ictus Ensemble, for which he has composed several works. In 1993 he joined a class at IRCAM, where he developed his interest in electronic music. He was composer in residence at the Conservatory of Strasbourg and the Musica Festival in 2001 and 2002. Since 2005 he has been one of four new directors of Charleroi / Danses, coordinating the multidisciplinary activities of the center choreography.