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