Dana Gingras

[CA/QC]

"Chute Libre / Free Fall"

Video (11'41"), 2019. Original text and narration by Marie Brassard; performed by Olivier Lemieux, Sovann Rochon-Prom Tep, and Esther Rousseau-Morin; art direction and 3D animation by Josh Sherrett; sound and music composition by Roger Tellier Craig; production by Catherine Chagnon, Microclimate Films.

“Free Fall” depicts the physical experience of vertigo and transcendence, produced by the circular motion of falling bodies subject to gravity. Inexorably this force flows in us, through us, and around us. The video seeks to stimulate the viewer’s senses in unexpected ways, causing surprisingly visceral and psychological sensations that give rise to a feeling of abandonment and movement through a vortex of interstitial space. It offers a temporary escape while reminding us that the pull of the earth and our finality are inescapable. The narrated text evokes curiosity and a sense of freedom by blurring the lines between human forms and their movement, and by disrupting our usual understanding of space and how our senses engage within it. Originally created as an immersive dome theatre projection and virtual reality film, “Free Fall” has been re-worked especially for its presentation at CTM.

Dana Gingras is the renowned choreographer and dancer behind multimedia dance company Animals of Distinction. She counts the likes of William Gibson, Jenny Holzer, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor as collaborators.