United States / Germany / France 2023, 90 min, English, French, Icelandic, Italian and Spanish, English subtitles
In a flowing loose-fitting gown, hands gripping the arm extension rods sewn into the fabric, wing-like silk swirling harmoniously, she dances, alive with dazzling colors—thus, in the early days of cinema, was Loïe Fuller immortalized. She was an artist whose mesmerizing performances captivated audiences and earned her a place in history. The serpentine dance she had invented was a wildly original spectacle by a performer who embodied the Belle Époque with her whole being: her artistic audacity, confidence in her body, and sexual liberation. Fuller’s remarkable biography unfolds as a dialogue that ties her life’s fascinating milestones to her influence on a wide range of artists today—from fashion designers, dancers, and painters to set designers, puppeteers, and pop stars—proving that the flutter of her butterfly wings from that famous dance is still sending out ripples through the world.
Previous Festivals: DOCNYC, International Rome Film Festival
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