Make Your OWN Dance Film
10 Minutes with Sara Augieras…
FILM TWO: The Reeds by Sara Augieras
Mentored by Mathieu Geffré. Editing by Roswitha Chesher
Who are you? Where do you come from? What are you doing for a living? How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
I come from Bordeaux. I am a professional dancer and a yoga instructor. I am passionate about sharing movement with others through dance and in the yoga classes I teach weekly. Connecting with an audience in performance is very close to my heart.
Three words… spiritual, cerebral, and joyful.
What is your Film about?
This is a movie inspired by the fable The Oak and The Reed by Jean de la Fontaine. It tells the story of two characters facing the North wind. An oak, confident and rooted, assures himself he is strong enough to resist anything. Meanwhile a quiet and vulnerable-looking reed swings with every blast. At the very last gust of wind the Oak is uprooted and the Reed bends.
The capacity to adapt and innovate, to show resilience and perseverance, in this unprecedented time was what I wanted to celebrate with the audience and the dancers. This film is about Reeds.
What interests you in the movie medium to explore your choreographic voice?
My creative thoughts were fading at the beginning of the first lockdown. I have always been driven by watching other dancers, by exploring tasks and discussing them. The medium of film presented itself as the only available place to connect and be in one space again. The joy came back each time a video dropped into my mailbox. It felt warm and exciting. I remember one night, past 10pm, after many consecutive hours working on the film, I realised that I could never have kept 20 dancers in the studio for so long! The capacity for total immersion was thrilling.
If there was one message you would like the audience to remember from your film, what would it be?
I hope the audience can find a sense of freedom, beauty and entitlement to use outdoor public spaces. I would like it to be an inspiration to explore movement; walks, runs and turns in any hard terrain, rough wind, heavy rain, wild forest, flower garden, high tree…
Did you have some sources of inspiration or references you used to create your film?
I spent a lot of time on numeridanse.tv which is a fantastic library of dance films. I watched all the available films by Thierry De Mey who filmed Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Rosas. There are stunning scenes in deserts, forests and gardens. His way of using rhythm transforms images into music. Mathieu also shared beautiful references throughout our tutorial meetings. I was particularly touched by Xavier Dolan’s scenography in Mummy. He manages to convey feelings of oppression and freedom by working only with a variation of frames.
Would you continue making more movies in the future?
Yes! I have in mind more images, more colours! I would really like to work with women from a non-dance background, and also pursue some work with a cyclical nature.
Keep a lookout for Sara’s film, The Reeds, on our Digital Stage and Youtube Channel this Monday 14 December.
It was a privilege to share Sara’s journey and support her in delivering her poetic vision. Her thoughtful and holistic approach allowed her to create a beautiful movie which does not only print unforgettable images in our memory but also allows us to connect with the simplest sensations so intensely. I hope you will all enjoy this movie. – Mathieu Geffré (mentor)
