Athens International Film Festival
aiff

Dancer

2/10/2016, 19:15, Danaos 1

When ballet becomes rock 'n’ roll: Sergei Polunin, who dazzled us in the viral video for "Take Me to Church", became the enfant terrible of the ballet world when he abandoned his position as lead soloist twice, rebelling against the classical dance status quo. How high is the price you pay for perfection?

dancer 7

He was described as Nureyev’s successor and considered the greatest contemporary talent in the demanding world of ballet. Exhausted by dull rehearsals and dissatisfied with low wages, Sergei Polunin threw away a promising career when he suddenly announced his retirement. After attempting to live an ordinary life for a while, he returned to dance, this time with decreased ambitions, devoting less time to training. Today he is almost a celebrity. He continues to dance but does not regret his decision for a hiatus.

Steven Cantor’s documentary bows to Polunin’s talent, exploring his transformation into a celebrity and discussing the results of his participation in the video for Hozier’s "Take Me to Church", which became viral, in a touching portrait of a revolutionary dancer, however strange that might sound. G. B.
Sergei Polunin in attendance

Director: Steven Cantor
DoP: Mark Wolf
Music: Ilan Eshkeri
Editor: Federico Rosenzvit
Featuring: Sergei Polunin

UK | 2016 | Color | DCP | 85' | English, Ukrainian, Russian



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