By 
By Roger Costa
Film Society of Lincoln Center presents the annual film festival dedicated to dance, Dance On Camera, February 3-7 and among its selection are two fantastic documentaries about Brazilian dancers that prove the determination, eagerness and devotion of these artists, as well as the transforming power of dance in their lives.
LOOKING AT THE STARS (OLHANDO PRAS ESTRELAS)
The camera follows a ballerina from behind as she approaches the dancing room, slightly losing balance, a bit insecure, and once she rushes herself into the ballet, she’s taken by profound joy and passion with her practice. The scene reveals the challenges faced by a group of young girls and children visually impaired who are determined to improve their talents and ability to dance despite the obstacles of their condition. Introducing the stories of Geyza and Thalya, two blind dancers, and Fernanda, the devoted teacher of an Association for the Blind in Sao Paulo, director Alexandre Peralta conceived one of the most important Brazilian documentaries of the decade, an urgent social issue that speaks universally its importance as a humanitarian proclamation of love for life even at its hardest aspects.
He also created an insightful look at the feminine universe seen through three different perspectives: Geyza is the oldest dancer in the group, she has been practicing for two decades and now coordinates some classes herself; she’s pretty strong and mature and is on the preparations for her wedding. Thalya is an adventurous and smart teenager who has a strong relationship with her mother, and dreams of writing a novel; she’s about to break through the influence of her hormones, the inescapable phase of instinctive and rebellious doubts. And there’s Fernanda, who had dedicated her entire life to the process of learning about these girls, understanding their pain and disability and shining hope as their ballet trainer. The heartbreaking narrative explores the dreams, struggles and moves of these women with intense sensibility, carefully listening to their motivations, confidence and mixed emotions, silent conflicts, fears and rejections, financial impairment, and mostly, the great devotion and passion to the art. A triumphant accomplishment, extremely contemplative and intensely dramatic, OLHANDO PRAS ESTRELAS reaches narrative perfection with its profound and courageous study on the powerful human sensibility of never giving up on hope.
ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER
A deeply personal portrait of a successful artist, his passion and discipline for dance and his sacred relation to the stage, directors David Barba and James Pellerito’s documentary highlights the brilliant career of Marcelo Gomes, the Brazilian dancer who became one of the most respected of his time as a principal for American Ballet Theatre. Using testimonies of Marcelo himself, conversations with his parents, partners, teachers and close relatives such as the uncles who raised him at some point, the film examines primarily his reaction to dance in every phase of his life, from when he started dancing as the only boy in the school’s ballet program to building a professional career in America and growing into a successful gay man. With the same intensity the directors depict his talent, resistance, and passionate skills, as well as his attempts of reconciliation with his father, unsolved symptoms of bullying and abandon, and the conflicts of society, identity and sexuality. Deeply charming, accurately precise and moving, the film is an inspirational true story about the determination that completes an artist.
(For schedule and tickets go to http://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/dance-on-camera-festival/#films )
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