Horizons

NEW DOCS

A trio of Cuban ballerinas, each from a different generation, are the subjects of director Eileen Hofer’s vérité celebration of dance and discipline. Prima ballerina and legend Alicia Alonso founded the National Ballet of Cuba in 1948, and now at 94, is the undisputed and undeterred (and nearly blind) grand dame of the company. Viengsay Valdés is a rising star within Alonso’s troupe, who follows in her mentor’s formidable footsteps in the studio and in life, spurning offers from prestigious dance companies abroad to remain in Havana. Aspiring ingénue Amanda de Jesus Perez Duarte is the youngest of the three ballerinas, representing her predecessors’ pasts and primes and the future of the art form. Moving comfortably among the atmospheric and archival, performance and portraiture, Horizons sets a languid and contemplative pace, yet is punctuated by energetic flourishes that trace a graceful, dynamic arc worthy of its subjects.  TM

Director

Eileen Hofer

Producer

Aline Schmid

Editors

Damian Plandolit, Valentin Rotelli

Cinematographer

Grégory Bindschedler

Original Title

Horizontes

Release Year

2015

Festival Year

2016

Country

Switzerland

Run Time

70 minutes

Subtitled

Yes