Destino: A Contemporary Dance Story (56m)/The Art of doing Nothing reviews
Review by on 28 Sep 2010
This film was a heart warming, insightful documentary which showed the development of a theatre company called ‘Destino’ It follows the progression of how the show came together sending a clear message to the audience, telling us that no matter what your background is, everyone can dance! At times I had goosebumps because of the rawness, passion not to mention hope that these people showed despite their physical disabilities or lifestyles.
Directed by Caswell Coggins, filmed in England and Ethiopia this touching film centres around two young men ‘Addisu Demissie’ and ‘Junaid Jemal Sendi’ and tells the story of how they came from nothing to something! In collaboration with professional dancers and 140 amateurs this documentary was wonderful and funny to watch.
Dance lovers, adults, teenagers and even people who have no interest in performing arts will enjoy this film. What made this documentary one that I’d go and see again was its simple, innocent plot and the fact that it was true life, true stories and something that happened to real life people. The style in which it was filmed is basic and effortless. The cinematography was perfect and allowed us to follow the film with ease. The music that accompanied the film was original and beautiful, sang in Amharic.it gave the film a unique feel.
Ruth Lack
Directed by Caswell Coggins, filmed in England and Ethiopia this touching film centres around two young men ‘Addisu Demissie’ and ‘Junaid Jemal Sendi’ and tells the story of how they came from nothing to something! In collaboration with professional dancers and 140 amateurs this documentary was wonderful and funny to watch.
Dance lovers, adults, teenagers and even people who have no interest in performing arts will enjoy this film. What made this documentary one that I’d go and see again was its simple, innocent plot and the fact that it was true life, true stories and something that happened to real life people. The style in which it was filmed is basic and effortless. The cinematography was perfect and allowed us to follow the film with ease. The music that accompanied the film was original and beautiful, sang in Amharic.it gave the film a unique feel.
Ruth Lack
Review by on 26 Sep 2010
The Art of Doing Nothing
This stunningly intimate short documentary by Richard Wyllie had a simple brilliance and surprised me by how inspirational it was. Three differing “street statues” were questioned about their job and usual days without drama or exaggeration. The set wasn’t in London, New York or Rome and didn’t need to be nor were the statues the best in the business but seeing them transform from human to stone was beautifully done. Some moments felt so perfect that you felt that had to have been staged but Wyllie only tampered with touching edits that spoke so much louder than words. The running commentary of the three statues gave them a voice they usually are without which I found extremely powerful – especially since they simply loved what they were doing. It wasn’t a documentary to make you feel guilty, no empty guitar cases were shown but it was instead just a new take on a simple pleasure in life.
Destino: a contemporary dance story
If ever there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s definitely Destino. Twelve years ago, Junaid Jemal Sendi and Addisu Demissie were dancing on the streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Last year they starred in DESTINO on the main stage of Sadler's Wells Theatre. This fairytale is presented in a refreshingly normal and non-sappy way – the two men never moan or complain but the relationship between them is powerfully captured in this film. As breathtaking as their dancing was, I preferred the moments where they sat gently arguing ideas or sharing a private joke in their own tongue. Together, they inspired a quiet phenomenon as a community piece sparked from the lives of the two dancers. Rehearsals switched to performances, preparation back to Ethiopia but the edits made sense and helped create an inexplicable pride that somehow you didn’t want to suppress. The insight on the process of the community piece especially fascinated me; young offenders shook hands with pensioners, children concentrated and teenagers let go. The moment you see their ground-breaking performance, the lights go down and the orchestra erupts, you will get goosebumps. The documentary has a funny way of taking you along its journey and setting you right back where they started in Ethiopia. Then the whole cycle starts all over again and no one is forgotten. Everyone is brought on stage at that moment – including you. I’d recommend it even if you don’t like dance films – the dancing is not really what it’s about. It’s something much more powerful and insightful but it’s not corny I promise.
Louisa Clack
This stunningly intimate short documentary by Richard Wyllie had a simple brilliance and surprised me by how inspirational it was. Three differing “street statues” were questioned about their job and usual days without drama or exaggeration. The set wasn’t in London, New York or Rome and didn’t need to be nor were the statues the best in the business but seeing them transform from human to stone was beautifully done. Some moments felt so perfect that you felt that had to have been staged but Wyllie only tampered with touching edits that spoke so much louder than words. The running commentary of the three statues gave them a voice they usually are without which I found extremely powerful – especially since they simply loved what they were doing. It wasn’t a documentary to make you feel guilty, no empty guitar cases were shown but it was instead just a new take on a simple pleasure in life.
Destino: a contemporary dance story
If ever there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s definitely Destino. Twelve years ago, Junaid Jemal Sendi and Addisu Demissie were dancing on the streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Last year they starred in DESTINO on the main stage of Sadler's Wells Theatre. This fairytale is presented in a refreshingly normal and non-sappy way – the two men never moan or complain but the relationship between them is powerfully captured in this film. As breathtaking as their dancing was, I preferred the moments where they sat gently arguing ideas or sharing a private joke in their own tongue. Together, they inspired a quiet phenomenon as a community piece sparked from the lives of the two dancers. Rehearsals switched to performances, preparation back to Ethiopia but the edits made sense and helped create an inexplicable pride that somehow you didn’t want to suppress. The insight on the process of the community piece especially fascinated me; young offenders shook hands with pensioners, children concentrated and teenagers let go. The moment you see their ground-breaking performance, the lights go down and the orchestra erupts, you will get goosebumps. The documentary has a funny way of taking you along its journey and setting you right back where they started in Ethiopia. Then the whole cycle starts all over again and no one is forgotten. Everyone is brought on stage at that moment – including you. I’d recommend it even if you don’t like dance films – the dancing is not really what it’s about. It’s something much more powerful and insightful but it’s not corny I promise.
Louisa Clack
Review by on 26 Sep 2010
DESTINO: A CONTEMPORARY DANCE STORY documents Ethiopian duo Junaid Jemal Sendi and Addisu Demissie’s journey through dance.
Junaid and Addisu grew up in the streets of Addis Ababa, with a life of poverty and were brought to Britain to dance, after being trained in contemporary dance in Addis Ababa. This documentary follows their story, showing their present life in England, performing professionally at Sadler’s Wells.
Considering this documentary is all about dance, very little dancing is shown until the very end of the film. Instead there is constant commentary from the choreographers involved with the Destino project, making it somewhat difficult to concentrate. There’s also barely any background given about the two main characters, engaging the audience with their story before their involvement in Destino. Nevertheless, Junaid and Addisu are both amazing dancers as shown in the final dance and the audience are shown two different cultures with Sadler’s Wells and Ethiopia.
The documentary also shows the diversity Destino has, as they involve dancers from ages 10-89 and have disabled dancers. This is great to see as most dance productions do not include such a big variety of people.
Overall, if you are interested with dance you will find this documentary interesting. If not then this is probably not for you.
Kiren Kahlon
Junaid and Addisu grew up in the streets of Addis Ababa, with a life of poverty and were brought to Britain to dance, after being trained in contemporary dance in Addis Ababa. This documentary follows their story, showing their present life in England, performing professionally at Sadler’s Wells.
Considering this documentary is all about dance, very little dancing is shown until the very end of the film. Instead there is constant commentary from the choreographers involved with the Destino project, making it somewhat difficult to concentrate. There’s also barely any background given about the two main characters, engaging the audience with their story before their involvement in Destino. Nevertheless, Junaid and Addisu are both amazing dancers as shown in the final dance and the audience are shown two different cultures with Sadler’s Wells and Ethiopia.
The documentary also shows the diversity Destino has, as they involve dancers from ages 10-89 and have disabled dancers. This is great to see as most dance productions do not include such a big variety of people.
Overall, if you are interested with dance you will find this documentary interesting. If not then this is probably not for you.
Kiren Kahlon
Review by on 25 Sep 2010
DESTINO follows two Ethiopian dancers, Junaid and Addisu, as they work on socially collaborative and avant-garde dance pieces, firstly at Sadler’s Wells and then back home in Addis Ababa. The company take a unique approach by fusing professional dancers with the non-professionals. The company they form is inclusive, seeking to provide an experiential physical dancing outlet for a range of performers. At Sadler’s Wells the non-professionals bridge the intergenerational divide, ranging in age from 10 to 89 years old as they perform a piece called ‘The Empire’s Fall’. In Addis, at the Ethiopian National Theatre, they perform a new piece (‘Wekt: The Seasons’) choreographed by Addisu with the Adugna Community Dance Theatre Company and 11 disabled dancers.
The film is unashamedly hopeful, the message it conveys relentlessly positive. It verges at times on self-congratulation – but it does so justifiably. The frequent recourse in interviews with the dancers and choreographers to truisms about the communal spirit enacted by such ensemble dance pieces, and the generosity of spirit which enables them, would tip cynics over the edge. But they are rescued from such negative thinking by the stunning photography of the actual performances which is undoubtedly the film’s great success. It seems fitting that the film’s words fail to fully convey the emotion and beauty of the piece – that is left to the dancing itself. For anyone with an interest in dance, or simply the captivating elegance of the human body in motion, DESTINO is right in step.
Chris Stefanowicz
The film is unashamedly hopeful, the message it conveys relentlessly positive. It verges at times on self-congratulation – but it does so justifiably. The frequent recourse in interviews with the dancers and choreographers to truisms about the communal spirit enacted by such ensemble dance pieces, and the generosity of spirit which enables them, would tip cynics over the edge. But they are rescued from such negative thinking by the stunning photography of the actual performances which is undoubtedly the film’s great success. It seems fitting that the film’s words fail to fully convey the emotion and beauty of the piece – that is left to the dancing itself. For anyone with an interest in dance, or simply the captivating elegance of the human body in motion, DESTINO is right in step.
Chris Stefanowicz
Film details
Destino: A Contemporary Dance Story (56m)/The Art of doing Nothing
DOCUMENTARIES
UK, 2010.
56 mins.
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