As we completed the first WildDogs International Screendance Festival in September 2020, a long dreamed about event for Wojtek and I, we wanted to create a series of smaller events that would help showcase the wonderful screendance works available from many countries, from some amazing artists. In planning our 2nd event, I spoke to my colleague Melanie Kloetzel about the film that she had created with Linnea Swan, MEN in Charge, that related to the US election and other issues that made its screening prior to the US election critical. I thought about the profound impact that some of the films we screened at the WildDogs International Screendance Festival had on me, personally, and wanted to consider how screendance can have a voice that speaks out on social issues. There is something so clear and clean about the body in motion; it speaks volumes without words. (A hint about our next screening event). I had seen other works of Vito Alfarano, an Italian artist, many of which also dealt with topics of social justice, and asked him if I might share I Have a Dream again, and another one of his works in this program. I emailed Kosta and asked if I could share his film, Waiting for Color, in this event, and he agreed. This was how Howls and Cries was born. Once the direction had been established, I spoke to our manager, Calvin Becker, about the voices we wanted to share on the eve of this election and he came back to me with his research; did I know that wolves, when ‘voting’ use a series of howls and calls to communicate? Thus, the title. Each film has a specific voice, and speaks out with passion, as I hope you will see, and the camera treats the body based on the director’s vision. It is an amazing medium, this marriage of dance and the camera, and I am hooked! I hope you will be, too, and will join us for other events this winter and spring!
At the GLOBE CINEMA, November 1, 2020 at 3PM. http://www.wilddogsglobe.eventbrite.ca
Melissa Monteros, Artistic Director
