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Dance
On Film news talks to Margaret Williams director of YOU CUBA...
Margaret Williams is one of Britain's leading directors working in
music and arts. She has worked as an independent director and producer
since 1975, running her own London-based company MJW Productions.
She has made several films and series on music and dance for Channel
4 and the BBC. Margaret's work is charaterised by use of humour, a
strong sense of composition and visual flair and innovation.
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Dance On Film News: Margaret,
in your press notes, it says the film was inspired by I am Cuba by
Russian director Mikhail Kalatozov, which examined the problems Margaret Williams :I first saw I AM CUBA at a cinema in Montreal, 8 or 9 years ago. For me, technically, no other film compares. As a piece of propaganda, there is none better. I found both the camera movement and the movement of people in the frame (you could describe it as background action) astonishing. In every film I’ve made, the choreography of the performer is as important as the choreography of the camera and vice versa. In no way was I trying to tackle the issues raised in that film. With the possible exception of the seemingly inherent dichotomy that has always been in Cuban society, despite poverty and exploitation (as shown in I AM CUBA), political crisis and economic sanctions, Cubans express themselves through dance and music in an extraordinarily upbeat way. Partly as a result of the Russian influences on classical training, and also other cultural influences from Spain and Africa, Cuba has the reputation of being the most dance oriented society in the world - everyone dances there. It was that and the people that intrigued me. Dance On Film News: That particular film was released in 1964, but has its beginnings in Havana in the pre-Castro era. Can films in Cuba really separate themselves from politics? If so how? Margaret Williams : YOU CUBA is not a political film. Very few dance films are political and as I said above, Cubans dance - they always have. I think it’s a wider public perception (perhaps influenced by the USA) that can’t separate Cuba from politics. Dance On Film News: Filmmakers
have always found it difficult to film in Cuba. What was your experience
of shooting in Havana and on Santa María beach? Margaret Williams :In general, when I film in a foreign country I go through official channels. Why not? As with anywhere ‘foreign’ the bureaucracy is tedious, but once we were in Havana we had a great Cuban fixer and a great, inspiring time. My experience of filming in Havana was in some ways no different to filming in say, Venezuela, India, the UK or Africa. I didn’t find it more difficult than anywhere else. But every time you go filming there’s ALWAYS something you don’t expect, it doesn’t really matter where you are. If I can, I’ll always film on a beach. Santa María beach is very close to Havana and we were the only people there. Someone did come up and ask us if we wanted drinks, snacks or sunbeds. To which the answer to all three was, yes. Also, I wasn’t interested in making a film about Cuban politics, perhaps that’s the key. Dance On Film News: There
are some glorious images throughout the film on the HD CAM. However,
how did you and cinematographer Michel Baudour decide the best shooting
format? Dance On Film News: The film was screened as three separate shorts, but what adjustments did you make in the edit for the 13 minute version?
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Margaret Williams :We were able to make these films for Channel 4’s ‘3 Minute Wonder’ series. So there were four films each of a 3 minute duration broadcast at 18:55 just before the Channel 4 News. I always had in my mind to join them together and this meant adding linking shots between each ‘section’/3 minute film. Dance On Film News: The
choreographer Kathy Marston has done some wonderful work with the
Royal Ballet (Tidelines). What did she bring to this particular project
that was unique? Dance On Film News: There are now over 60 Screen Dance Festivals worldwide. However, is television still behind in its acceptance? Margaret Williams :
There is dance on television, but some of it is not well publicised
or scheduled in a way that is easy for the audience to find. And budgets
are dramatically reduced. In the early 90s, we made 2 series of TIGHTS
CAMERA ACTION! for Channel 4, followed by 2 series of 4DANCE introduced
by the Ballet Boyz. In 2005 we made a 90 minute special 4DANCE –
DANCE4FILM introduced by Jonzi D and are currently sending out guidelines
for a new 4DANCE – DANCE4FILM to be introduced by Jonzi D and
Frances Rings. This is a co-production between Channel 4, the Arts
Council, OzCo and Australian Broadcasting Corporation. We are looking
to make 5 new films and we’ll be buying in interesting dance
films of a 6 minute or less duration. And again, since the early 90s,
the BBC made 7 series of Dance for the Camera which were co-productions
with the Arts Council. So, I don’t think you can say ‘television
is behind in its acceptance’. (These are just examples of the
films that we have made - there are other people working in the field
too.) Dance On Film News: MJW recently made a feature with Alison Murray. How is that transition going as opposed to working in television? Margaret Williams :Alongside our work for television we have been developing feature film projects for a number of years. Making feature films won’t mean we’ll stop making films and series for television. For example, I really enjoy curating and being involved in the commissioning of films for 4DANCE – DANCE4FILM and last year I got a tremendous kick out of directing the OB for ‘BALLET HOO – Ballet Changed My Life’ for Channel 4. Dance On Film News: What are you currently working on? Margaret Williams : My feature, with writer Stef Penney and a proposal to CFA for a dance film with newcomer Choreographer/Performer Imogen Knight. DIRECTOR CHOREOGRAPHER DANCERS CAMERA MUSIC EDITOR PRODUCERS Anne Beresford & Nuria Font
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This
film is part of
Dance, Camera, Action 2
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