In the way that wedding rehearsals can be more emotional than the big day – all the untidy feelings that will be tucked away for the cameras still on show – this documentary from Juliette Binoche feels raw and unguarded. It goes behind the scenes of Binoche’s collaboration with British dancer Akram Khan; their dance-theatre piece, a love story entitled In-I, premiered in London to mixed reviews in 2008. Now, all these years later, Binoche makes her directing debut with a film that is essentially a study of their artistic process.
And it’s unexpectedly fascinating, watching two world-famous performers pushing themselves outside their comfort zones, exposed and vulnerable – particularly Binoche, who had never danced professionally before. In-I in Motion is a film of two halves, ending with a performance on stage in front of an audience, the set designed by artist Anish Kapoor: a vast screen in murderous red. The first half is more interesting, shot fly-on-the-wall style during the months it took to create the piece in a studio.
Binoche and Khan work with acting coach Susan Batson, who at one point thunders: “THIS IS FULL OF SHIT!” (never mind La Binoche’s Oscar). For some audiences, it will have a whiff of theatrical cringe; the endless stewing and fretting over how to achieve something truthful is ripe for spoof. But the pure intensity and focus is thrilling to watch.
Still, it can feel like an endurance test. There’s no voiceover to explain that 170 hours of footage shot over six months has been edited down. No interviewer to ask questions that might crop up.
Like, why did Binoche wait 17 years to compile the documentary? How did she train for the dancing? Were the negative reviews bruising?
The person behind the camera during the months of rehearsals is her sister, film-maker Marion Stalens, which might explain how natural and unfiltered Binoche is. Khan remains an enigmatic presence on screen, but Binoche, for all the famous seriousness about her work, is a real hoot.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
