This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Hair's the Thing

Around this time of year, we can all use a little cheer. The early darkness, the cold, the state of the world alone can send one into a spiral. And while I’ve written about this film before on another platform, I just could not think of anything that felt more apropos and well, deliciously silly.

Still from “Am I Paris?” by director Redha Medjalekh

Beyond the absurdity of its title and content, Am I Paris? is many things. Aa a film by Director Redha Medjalekh, starring Scorpion Dancer, it’s a black-and-white love letter to Paris that blends really remarkable physical feats and dance with really good filmmaking. It also features an insanely hairy creature that bounds off buildings, gallops past bewildered pedestrians, and challenges a crowd of street dancers. But perhaps its greatest importance is its brilliantly crafted message about acceptance, living in community, and embracing one another’s differences and idiosyncrasies.  

And as we approach another year, the latter, I think, is a message for us all. Enjoy.

Still from “Am I Paris?” by director Redha Medjalekh

Still from “Am I Paris?” by director Redha Medjalekh

Sarah Elgart


Sarah Elgart is an award winning choreographer, director, movement director, and producer, creating original content for stage, site and screen, whose work has been seen internationally. Sarah’s ScreenDance Diaries is one of the first articles on the genre of Dance Film (originally for Cultural Daily). An alumna of the Sundance Institute’s Dance/Film Lab, AFI’s DWW, and a director member of the DGA, Sarah is Founder/Director of DARE TO DANCE IN PUBLIC FILM FESTIVAL (www.dare2danceinpublic.com). @arrogantelbow @dare2danceinpublic

subscribe to the latest in dance


“Uncommonly intelligent, substantial coverage.”

Your weekly source for world-class dance reviews, interviews, articles, and more.

Already a paid subscriber? Login

comments

Featured

Weaving the Story
REVIEWS | Cecilia Whalen

Weaving the Story

The Pioneers Go East Collective's Out-Front! Festival highlights “radical queer art + dance,” making it a perfect resident festival for the historic Judson Memorial Church.

Continue Reading
Life, Death, Little Deaths, and a New Year Too
FIELD NOTES | Candice Thompson

Life, Death, Little Deaths, and a New Year Too

Dominica Greene makes snow angels in a small pool of light. As the audience chatter at Danspace Project quiets down, she revs to life. Rocking and talking about a rickety fan found in her grandparents’ house in Guyana, her shakes and shudders illustrate the pleasure her body derives from the appliance’s particular rhythm.

Continue Reading
Good Subscription Agency