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DOFN
Editor Susanne Fosse talks to Karina Epperlein .Karina
Epperlein (independent filmmaker) has thirty years of experience as
a theater artist, teacher and filmmaker. A native of Germany, she
came to the United States in 1981 as a dancer, choreographer and actress.
Her film credits include Women's Rites (2000), I Will Not Be Sad In
This World (2001) and We Are Here Together (2003). Her latest film
Phoenix Dance takes a closer look at Homer Avila, a professional dancer
who lost a leg to cancer, yet recovered and returned triumphantly
to the stage.
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Susanne Fosse: Phoenix Dance has just been shortlisted for the 2007 Academy Awards (alongside 8 docs for Best Documentary short). How did you hear about that? Karina Epperlein: The Academy called me. But the news had to kind of sink in: me fully understanding what a wonderful honor and opportunity this was for Phoenix Dance, and for me as a filmmaker. And what a joy to see Homer “dancing” his way so far out into the world Susanne Fosse: Homer Avila lost his limb in April 2001, but when did the project actually start? Karina Epperlein: Yes, the amputation was in April 2001 - 3 months later Homer asked Alonzo to let him participate in his “high power” workshop for professional dancers. A one-legged dancer without crutches! It was hard to imagine. Alonzo was reluctant but finally agreed. At the end of the workshop Homer asked if Alonzo would choreograph something for him, and Alonzo said it should be a pas de deux. At the last minute they found Andrea. The “PAS” was premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in the Spring of 2002. I knew nothing of this. Purely by chance, I saw Homer Avila perform as a guest dancer with Andrea Flores at an AXIS Dance Company event of integrated dance, in October 2002 here in Oakland, California. He was a guest dancer and I had not read the program notes. The dance started off with a man on the floor, dim lighting. He began moving, and a minute into his dance I thought I was hallucinating: he had only one leg! How was that possible? When Andrea entered, a creature with three legs and four arms emerged. The traditional roles were reversed: the man's vulnerability and the woman's strength complemented each other, sweetly. And in their solo outbursts they spurred each other on to great heights, like the flames of their souls' fire. I had tears streaming down my face – and I was on fire. Urgently I asked myself how I could help to bring this utterly inspiring effort to the world. Having been a professional dancer, this was too beautiful to not be seen by everybody! Then I woke to the reality of being a filmmaker. In the intermission I ran to ask Homer if he would be interested in a film about himself and this particular choreography of a pas de deux which, for me, spoke about the essence of the human experience. I knew nobody would be able to imagine a dancer on one leg like Homer without seeing it. He said yes, and took me on a journey too. I would say Phoenix Dance chose me, there was no escaping. |
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Susanne Fosse: You
had previously shot a film with dance about Anna Halprin (Women's
Rites). Did that experience help you with this project ? Karina Epperlein: Well, for Women’s Rites I was director and DP, and I did most of the camera work. Working intimately and hand held is my main strength and interest. So I got to play with my ideas on how to photograph movement, and as with my prison film (Voices from Inside, 1996) I got to portray the creative process. Having been a dancer and actress, I had always felt that live performance most of the time falls literally “flat” on screen, and becomes very quickly boring to the viewer. What was so exciting to see directly with one’s own eyes is suddenly dull and removed. We cannot establish anymore the immediate visceral emotional connection that we felt in the theatre. Film is such a different artistic medium, one now has to translate into cinematic language, become a painter, and use one’s own way of “seeing” and conveying. There is nothing objective about the eye of the camera and the process of editing. It’s all about the voice and vision of the beholder, the artist. Susanne Fosse: Did
you have any doubts that you would finish shooting the film Karina Epperlein:
Yes, there was doubt and much pressure. When Homer visited me at my
home during Thanksgiving 2002, to talk more about the project, he
told me that he had just found out that the cancer was re-occurring
in his lungs. He was not going to go into treatment, but rather keep
dancing. I respected and understood his choice very much. He did not
want this to be known (only a few good friends knew). He wanted to
be seen as alive, dancing, and re-inventing himself as a dancer and
artist. But I needed to hurry to find the money to get the “film
in the can!” (It was all shot in Mini DV.) It was difficult
to get the busy schedules of Alonzo King, the choreographer, and the
two dancers freed up for a week of rehearsals, performance and interviews.
Fortunately since my initial being put on fire, I had a clear vision
of Phoenix Dance: I wanted it to be precise, like a poem. The week
of filming finally happened in April 2003. |
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Susanne Fosse: What
was the most difficult stage of the film? At the end of our filming week I felt I had not gotten the emotional and technical quality that I had wanted. I put the footage aside, crying with despair. A month later I had a serious back injury, and was crippled, literally. It took months to recover. I was going through my own burning to ashes and rebirth. Many old patterns of moving and holding myself in the world, internally and externally, had to change. A personal “being remolded” happened throughout the making of Phoenix Dance. When I came back to the material in January 2004, I questioned deeply: how could I stay true to my original being “on fire”, my enthusiasm? How could I make the magic that I experienced when seeing Homer and Andrea for the first time into a film that would give audiences a similar experience? It was all up to me to recreate this in the editing room. I prepared the script, and sequences meticulously, drawing, sketching, weighing the words. The first cut was an easy and delightful birth - like a iracle - and it was basically the film as it is now. I had fully stepped into my vision, and I dared to come from my own deep place. Susanne Fosse: Alonzo King choreographed a wonderful piece for Homer and Andrea Flores called "Pas de Deux" . Had they worked together before the project? Karina Epperlein:
No, they had not worked together before. What drew me in was not only
Homer but the depth of Alonzo’s vision, choreography and humanity.
It was visible to me in the “PAS”. It was just so moving
and rare. Here were three courageous people engaging in a courageous
collaboration and exploration. Making Phoenix Dance was my way of
joining as an artist and bringing my vision and heart to the table,
so it could live on. |
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Susanne Fosse: The short
version is available on 35mm. Were you able to do Susanne Fosse: Have you decided where you will be on January 23rd 2007 for the Oscar nominations? Karina Epperlein:I At home. If Phoenix Dance should get a nomination, there’ll be a month of craziness till the ceremony on February 25, 2007.
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This
film is part of
Dance, Camera, Action 2
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