(l-r) Niels Schneider and Anastasia Shevtsova as dance students in Polina. Photo courtesy of Oscilloscope Films ©
The French and Russian languages drama Polina is a coming-of-age story about a promising young Russian ballerina named Polina in search of artistic fulfillment. But Polina’s real appeal is not its story but its many moments of beautifully photographed dance and fine choreography.
Renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has worked on several documentaries but this is her first narrative film drama. She co-directs with screenwriter Valerie Muller, who adapted the story from a graphic novel.
Fans of both classical ballet and modern dance will find much to enjoy in this film, in part because the dance sequences are not little snippets used to season the story, but a major (and delightful) part of the film’s running time. Preljocaj’s often electrifying choreography is reason enough to see this film but the film...
The French and Russian languages drama Polina is a coming-of-age story about a promising young Russian ballerina named Polina in search of artistic fulfillment. But Polina’s real appeal is not its story but its many moments of beautifully photographed dance and fine choreography.
Renowned French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj has worked on several documentaries but this is her first narrative film drama. She co-directs with screenwriter Valerie Muller, who adapted the story from a graphic novel.
Fans of both classical ballet and modern dance will find much to enjoy in this film, in part because the dance sequences are not little snippets used to season the story, but a major (and delightful) part of the film’s running time. Preljocaj’s often electrifying choreography is reason enough to see this film but the film...
- 9/15/2017
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"I don't want to see a pretty dancer, I want to see Polina dancing." Oscilloscope Labs has debuted a trailer for a dance film titled Polina, telling the story of a classically trained ballet dancer who decides to switch to contemporary dance. This decisions "throws everything into question on a profound level", taking her on a journey of discovery and understanding. This is a full-on dance film through and through, made by two filmmakers with an extensive background in dance. Anastasia Shevtsova, a professional dancer who has performed with Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, stars as Polina. The cast includes Niels Schneider, Jeremie Belingard, and Juliette Binoche, who has danced with London-based choreographer Akram Khan. This looks very kinetic and unique, taking dance and the commitment involved to a whole other level. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Valérie Müller & Angelin Preljocaj's Polina, from YouTube: Rigorously trained from an...
- 8/11/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
For her latest film, director Valérie Müller went to the right people to help tell the story of a talented dancer who dreams of more, from her co-director Angelin Preljocaj (who is also Müller’s partner in real life) to her star, a dancing queen in her own right. The result is an energetic, honest look inside the fraught world of dance and the sort of unique people who populate it.
Read More‘Step’: How the Sundance Documentary Is Emulating ‘Hidden Figures’ to Inspire Underprivileged Kids
Shot in Russia, France, and Belgium, “Polina” follows the journey of gifted young dancer Polina — played by real-life Mariinsky Theatre Russian ballerina Anastasia Shevtsova — who has spent her childhood and youth training with a hard-driving classical ballet teacher. Polina’s long-held dreams (or perhaps her teacher’s?) seem ready to finally come to fruition when she’s accepted into Moscow’s highly competitive and prestigious Bolshoi Ballet.
Read More‘Step’: How the Sundance Documentary Is Emulating ‘Hidden Figures’ to Inspire Underprivileged Kids
Shot in Russia, France, and Belgium, “Polina” follows the journey of gifted young dancer Polina — played by real-life Mariinsky Theatre Russian ballerina Anastasia Shevtsova — who has spent her childhood and youth training with a hard-driving classical ballet teacher. Polina’s long-held dreams (or perhaps her teacher’s?) seem ready to finally come to fruition when she’s accepted into Moscow’s highly competitive and prestigious Bolshoi Ballet.
- 8/7/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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