Coming to NYC’s Film Forum today, Wednesday, September 10: BORN TO FLY: ELIZABETH STREB VS GRAVITY
Catherine Gund’s portrait of a pioneering pop action choreographer debuted at SXSW this year. It went on to screen at Cleveland, Full Frame, MountainFilm, Seattle, Sydney, Brooklyn, Sheffield, Frameline, and deadCENTER, among others.
Elizabeth Streb has developed philosophy of movement over decades, putting it into gloriously experimental practice in her Brooklyn-based Streb Extreme Action Company. The film delves into the self-assured taskmaster’s past and present, recounting the evolution of the MacArthur genius’ unusual synthesis of acrobatics, dance, and circus performance even as she prepares her troupe for their most impressive spectacle yet – performing death-defying actions on and off famed London landmarks as part of the 2012 Olympics. Gund deftly captures a palpable sense of what Streb subjects her performers – and herself – to, flinging themselves against objects and leaping off of whirling machinery, often risking serious injury. Though lacking a driving conflict or transformative arc, the film nevertheless offers a compelling profile of a self-assured, successful artist unwilling to stop pushing herself from attempting the impossible.
what (not) to doc 