A series of ten films exploring diverse narratives with underlying common themes that research interaction of movement and camera for storytelling. Developed as solo works or in remote collaboration with over 15 artists across the world exploring diverse narratives with underlying common themes of mental health, access, social and gender justice.

TRAILERS AND BLURBS:

[to view the full films, please visit the linked titles]

WEIGHTED

Would things pan out differently if one could rewind to the beginning? Developed by Pritha and Anushka within the confines of their homes during the pandemic, Weighted is a journey about choices between the path we are supposed to walk, the path we can choose to walk, and whether we choose to carry the weight of those choices with us; it is inspired by the resilience of nature that withstands fires and storms to flourish time and again and seeks to find that resilience within the human psyche. It is an auto-drama drawing from Pritha’s personal struggles to stand up for who they are, choosing to walk the less-travelled paths, and learning to live with those choices.

Developed within the confines of one building during the pandemic, Weighted is a dance film exploring the interaction of camera, movement, and constraints (spatial, physical, psychological) in telling stories about access and choices inspired by lived experiences of navigating gender dysphoria, censorship, and oppressive generational traditions.

Developed as an independent, self-funded project, this film was shot with one 50mm lens in confined spaces without any stabilizers for dynamic shots. This is a case where logistic constraints and narrative fed back on each other to evolve into the final film.

GAZE

Gaze explores what “being feminine” is for Pritha and Ronita and how it is affected by the gaze with which we are taught to see what is feminine. Developed through site-specific improvisations of both movement and camera work, this film was made during the Durga Puja Festival in India - a festival that is said to worship that which is feminine, strongly rooted in the culture of both the artists. Ronita’s movement research, inspired by what she calls “the sacred feminine” explored the dualities within her as a female-identifying person and whether that fits into the idea of “feminine”.

Gaze explores what “being feminine” is for Pritha and Ronita and how it is affected by the gaze with which we are taught to see what is feminine - the film explores fluid femininity. Developed through site-specific improvisations of both movement and camera work, this film was made during the Durga Puja Festival in India - a festival, primarily celebrated by the Bengali community, that is said to worship that which is feminine, a festival that is strongly rooted in the culture of both the artists. While celebrations carried on in their hometown, Kolkata, Pritha and Ronita were 1600 km away in Bangalore filming this project and embodying what meaning these celebrations hold for them as women from the community who are struggling to find their own path. Ronita’s movement research, inspired by what she calls “the sacred feminine” explored the dualities within her as a female-identifying person and whether that fits into the idea of “feminine” - power and vulnerability, grace and strength - what it means to be fierce and gentle.

The narrative questions the many “gazes” and why the feminine should conform to it. If I say I am feminine "What do you see? Where do you expect me to be and how? Does your gaze define me? Does your gaze limit me? What happens when I gaze back?” These are the questions that we embody in the film.

LOOPED

Developed with support from the Begin Again Grant by World Dance Allaince, Asia Pacific.

Drawing from Pritha's embodied experiences in the last two years of the global pandemic, this film is set within the ever-constant confines of a room, and it the explores the psychological state of inertia in movements which develops into a choreographic piece. How does one get out of this and build resilience to begin again?

We live amongst constant change. In ecological jargon, resilience in living systems is the ability to come back to a stable state post-perturbation/change; this ability varies for different systems. But what happens when you are stuck in a state of psychological inertia? A place where your mind and body does not adapt/want to change. You are stuck in a loop of your thoughts and movement. Can someone build / find resilience in this state?

CHAOS AND CALM

Chaos and Calm explores movement interpretations of the feeling of changes in the state of one’s mind and senses. It was developed by Adrienne and Pritha during the pandemic in remote collaboration with artists across 7 countries who have never met in real life. It depicts the phases of chaos and calm that the artists went through during the trying times of the last two years, how they dealt with it, and how the support of each other helped them through it. The piece was not pre-choreographed and is based on improvisations developed through general prompts.

Chaos and Calm explores embodied changes in the state of anxious and confined minds - their vicious cycles and rare breaks. It was developed by Adrienne and Pritha during the pandemic in remote collaboration with artists across 7 countries who have never met in real life. The film expresses the phases of chaos and calm that the artists went through during the trying times of the last two years, how they dealt with it,  and how the support of each other helped them through it. The piece was not pre-choreographed and is developed through research-based improvisations. Chaos and Calm is an embodiment of Pritha’s research on developing empathetic connections world where one can surpass geographical isolations to create nurturing spaces.

INERTIA

The tendency of a particle to stay in its state of rest or of motion unless acted upon by an external force - that's the physical concept of Inertia. This film is a creative exploration of inertia in the state of our movement, mind, and environment.

Shot within the house they were confined to during the lockdown, it reflects the dynamic journeys of the states of mind of two artists reflected in their movements. The film is a research into dance on camera and movement storytelling.

A part of the film was the first ever dance film I created - 45 seconds shot, edited, and created win 45 minutes. It started out as an exploration of movements in space and how the camera changes the perspective and texture of a movement.

LONG WAY HOME

A short film about journeys and migrations forced upon us.

Informed by our lived experiences and of those close to us, this work was created during the pandemic in July 2020 and filmed in a deserted railway station. In collaboration with British composer and movement artist Seirian Griffiths and Polish dancer Aleksandra Nalepa. The film featured as a jury selection at the film festival by Jacob Jonas the Company.

FACE

A short film exploring micro-stories in movements. Informed by a dialogue about facing oneself.

Developed during research based on choreographic prompts by Kyana Burgess and music by Aman Prasad - about a conversation that never happened but should have.

EVOLVERE

An autobiographical collection in a dance film moving through the evolution of my artistic practice and processing the change.

Evolvere (v. to unfold) is a reflection on my practice till 2020 and it's evolution. A montage of movement through time and space, it reflects where I was and how I perceived the world in movement.

TRANSLATING TAGORE SERIES

A performance poetry series based on translations of poems and songs by Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet, philosopher, and writer, exploring contemporary movement renditions of timeless words.

In collaboration with Smoke Screen, this series is an intersection of camera, movement, and words and how they can tell stories through the body - stories that were imagined to be spoken in words.