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1-27 of 27
- A darker and more mysterious version of the 1995 show of the same name. Graeme Murphy's BERLIN is an exploration using the city of Berlin as a symbol of decline and resurrection. Seductively theatrical, BERLIN discover the heart and mind of what it is to be human, a hauntingly powerful and beautiful piece of dance theatre transposed to the small screen. "The city of Berlin has always provoked potent global reactions and strong personal resonances, even from those who have never been there - Berlin currently and historically, evokes images of perpetual re-birth. The dominant physicality is of cranes lifting the spirit of the city towards the future, juxtaposed with streets riddled with deep, dark holes that seem to contain the ghosts of its past".
- An evocative music clip sung by French artist Denez Prigent, from Brittany, with haunting Australian singer Lisa Gerrard; this clip was made to promote Ridley Scott's feature film, Black Hawk Down, and the song was used in the movie itself.
- An impressionistic look at controversial Melbourne master photographer Bill Henson, focusing on his exhibition at the Venice Biennial in Italy where he represents Australia, whilst giving context to his work as a whole. This documentary offers an interpretation of Henson's artistry through the prism of visual richness, complexity and decay of Venice itself.
- John Friedrich wanted a life of action and adventure, only someone else had to pay for it.
- A DVD featuring a rich Australian Chamber Orchestra's concert combined with a riveting theatre play inspired by Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata, filmed at the Melbourne Town Hall.
- A Cinema Vérité documentary looking at Australia's obsession with speed, joyriding and car theft, and its implications for three young men's lives, providing a deeper understanding of their motivations and subculture. Rush is a considered an intimate observation of troubled young men today; at the same time it reveals the difficult transition between worlds, from childhood to manhood, capturing the sense of immediacy, of immortality and the fearlessness which characterizes this unique phase of life.
- Commissioned for the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival MYTHOLOGIA takes its inspiration from the heroes of Greek mythology. Inspired in particular by the Greek poet Pindar who named Heracles as the founder of the Olympic Games, choreographer Graeme Murphy fittingly created a later-day Olympic Ode. An epic dance-drama on an operatic scale, MYTHOLOGIA is lovingly translated to the small screen, taking the audience on a wonderful journey through a collection of dynamic, bold and breathtaking dance sequences in the telling of the many Trials of Heracles.
- 'Two Shanks' is originally a play written by Daniel Keene. Artist Catherine Bainbridge, inspired by the play, created artworks to be shown in her Melbourne exhibition, probing the abstract visual ideas circulating around the words of the script, their written appearance, and spoken meaning. This short film features excerpts from the play powerfully interpreted by Marco Chiappi in the role, which was originally performed by the late Lewis Fiander. All these media - the powerful writing, the stirring artwork, the performance and the B&W photographs of Lewis Fiander (by Jeff Busby) - combine into a moving short film directed, filmed and edited by Philippe Charluet, which forms part of and is screened within Catherine's exhibition titled '...of script and facture...' which was shown at the Fortyfivedownstairs gallery in Melbourne CBD in late 2018.
- The long tradition of Persian literature, poetry and arts of the book is showcased in an international exhibition, 'Love and Devotion', an exclusive collaboration between two of the oldest institutions of their kind in their respective countries, the State Library of Victoria (Australia) and the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford (UK). Traveling across the world for the first time, many rare manuscripts dating from the 13th to 18th centuries are put on display for us to experience the detail and beauty of Persian illumination, calligraphy and poetic stories that date back to antiquity, yet transcend time and place. Within this setting, a precious window is opened - and this documentary offers a unique opportunity to explore this extraordinarily rich cultural past and its dialogue with Western literature.
- Inspired by Oscar Wilde's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', Graeme Murphy's Shades of Gray sees the infamous Dorian Gray transported into the world of dance. Receiving its premiere in May 2004 at the Sydney Opera House, Shades of Gray is an intense work rich in symbolic and historical references. Set in the hedonistic milieu of the last few decades of the twentieth century, Shades of Gray cuts a swathe through the destructive decadence of this time. Unfolding on and off stage in 18 scenes, the story follows Dorian's dazzling dance career from the late 60's to early 90's in several performances within the performance, viewed by the audience as if backstage. The interweaving narrative tracks the downward spiral of Dorian and his celebrity click from glitzy euphoria to out-of-control debauchery. Dorian's portraits come alive through the 'Shades', who represent Dorian's moral decay.
- An arresting dance work born from a co-production between Lucy Guerin INC's Melbourne-based dance company and Montreal's Place des Arts. It draws on the inventive design skills of Robert Cousins and the expansive music of Oren Ambarchi to create an intriguing exploration of the choreographic formations and visceral affects of weather. Filmed at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, Australia.
- 'Air and Other Invisible Forces' is essentially a non-narrative dance work. Graeme Murphy draws his inspiration from the music of Australian composer Michael Askill and Georgian composer Giya Kancheli, taking the audience on an emotional journey of dance sequences that are both innovative and hauntingly beautiful with resonant allusions to Asia and the West - Journeys with unknown endings, Gods who dwell in the everyday, doors that open onto nothingness, chance encounters that change everything and consequently everything before - these are the intangibles that propel this work. A section of 'Air And Other Invisible Forces', 'Mourned By The Wind', was also exquisitely filmed for the camera, and broadcast simultaneously on the BBC in the UK and ABC TV in Australia at midnight on December 1999 to celebrate the new century.
- Seven years earlier, an 18 year ALICIA was seriously injured in a car accident. It was her brain rather than her body which suffered. This tells the story of her long journey of recovery. Not content with just regaining a 'normal life', Alicia pursues her original dream of becoming an actress. Through Beth, the main character from Sam Shepard's play A Lie of the Mind, Alicia is able to express the common experiences of brain injury, her alienation from society for being different and her lack of inhibitions. Alicia's behavior is often deemed unacceptable; she can be seen to sometimes use her brain-injury as a justification for her uncontrolled emotions. Through her exaggerated experiences, we are given a candid insight into the other side that inhabit us all. Flashbacks, dreams, Alicia's video diary, interviews told with heart and extraordinary honesty by her family, friends, medical practitioners, healers and theatre colleagues; all contribute to unmask and reveal the many faces of Alicia.
- 'The Medieval Imagination, Illustrated Manuscripts from Cambridge, Australia and New Zealand' was a blockbuster exhibition held at the State Library of Victoria. This documentary looks at the bringing together of 90 extremely precious books, containing amazing draftsmanship in opulent colors by artists from the 8th to 16th centuries. It logs the process of organizing and curating such an exhibition, including the painstaking process of shipping priceless works of art across the world - including the oldest European manuscript to ever cross the Equator. Behind the scenes of this exhibition and its creation, lies the fascinating story of the richest repository of Western knowledge and art, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the advent of printing.
- Filmed over a period of 9 months, this documentary follows the creation of a brand new 'Romeo and Juliet', conceptualized and choreographed by Graeme Murphy AO with his creative partner Janet Vernon AM for The Australian Ballet. We are privy to their intense rehearsal periods in Sydney and Melbourne, together with the design process with acclaimed fashion designer Akira Isogawa and artist/designer Gerard Manion - revealing the sheer hard work, imagination and joy in creating such a major new work. But at the end, it is up to The Australian Ballet's Principal Artists, KEVIN JACKSON and MADELEINE EASTOE and their Romeo's and Juliet's interpretation of the tragic love affair.
- Superbly filmed at the Sydney Opera House, GRAND is both a celebration and fusion of dance and piano. Close to Graeme Murphy's heart, this show is dedicated to the life of his mother Betty, herself a pianist. Murphy has been greatly influenced by music for piano and creates a stunning visual representation for a diverse collection of pieces for this beautiful instrument. The grand piano takes center stage and is moved by the dancers and incorporated into the choreography effortlessly.
- A concerto for man, muscle and machine, Synergy with Synergy is an extraordinarily unique and exciting piece of dance. Inspired by the power of percussion, Graeme Murphy incorporates an exhilarating score, coupled by daring and breathtaking choreography on a vast scale to create an evening of truly memorable dance.
- Graeme Murphy's internationally acclaimed Salome is a breathtaking interpretation of the fascinating biblical tale of Salome, King Herod, Queen Herodias and John the Baptist. Graeme's sinuous choreography and sly wit coupled with the evocative rhythms of Michael Askill's score - performed live with members of the Sydney Dance Company - take the audience on a memorable and intense journey.
- Graeme Murphy's BERLIN is an exploration using the city of Berlin as a symbol of decline and resurrection. Seductively theatrical, BERLIN explores the heart and mind of what it is to be human. A hauntingly powerful and beautiful piece of dance theatre transposed to the small screen. Murphy said: "The city of Berlin has always provoked potent global reactions and strong personal resonances, even from those who have never been there - Berlin currently and historically, evokes images of perpetual re-birth. The dominant physicality is of cranes lifting the spirit of the city towards the future, juxtaposed with streets riddled with deep, dark holes that seem to contain the ghosts of its past"
- Documentary looking at the intense and challenging workshop period of this new performance Art piece in creative development, centering around the theme of the 7 Deadly Sins. This is the second collaborative work between Tasmanian based Mature Artists Dance Experience (MADE) and acclaimed director/choreographer Graeme Murphy and his creative partner Janet Vernon. Established in 2005, MADE creates and produces inspiring dance-theatre performed by people aged 50 years and over. MADE partners professional artists with non-professional dancers to create highly aesthetic contemporary dance theatre performances in primarily non-traditional presentation environments and connects to audiences of all ages, communicating the lived experience, reflecting on life and expressing story through dance-theatre. The work of MADE is particularly timely and relevant in the context of a globally aging population as it shifts the lens from a youth-centric culture to one that recognizes and values the significant contribution mature adults make to our cultural identity.
- TIVOLI has now been completed, nearly 3 hours of it. There was a time when the Tivoli Circuit reigned supreme. This was the home of variety theatre and vaudeville - where dancers, acrobats, comedians and ventriloquists trod the boards and where unclad beauties stood immobile. From the 1890s until the last show in 1966, Tivoli theaters around Australia vibrated with theatrical magic. In commemoration of Australia's Centenary of Federation, The Sydney Dance Company and the Australian Ballet joined forces for the first time to present an unforgettable celebration of the Tivoli Circuit. TIVOLI is Graeme Murphy's homage to this extraordinary period of variety theatre. Featuring 35 dancers from two of Australia's most celebrated companies, guest artists and singers and a 10-piece band, Tivoli is a large-scale production. Interweaving backstage scenes with onstage acts, Graeme Murphy's TIVOLI captures the essence of 'a night at the Tiv' whilst also telling the story of the era. The story opens in 1906, when the main character, a starry-eyed Jack, lands a job as a stagehand. This marks the beginning of a life-long love affair with the theatre, and we watch as he works his way to the top in the midst of great change - two World Wars, the roaring 20s and the depression years, the topless follies of the 50s and finally the disastrous advent of television. Drawing upon authentic music and authentic acts from Tivoli productions, TIVOLI reveals the humor, glamour and magic of the era to a whole new generation.
- Documentary following David McAllister, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, with his collaborative team and dancers, as he creates this magical ballet.
- Based loosely on events in the life of the French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and film-maker Jean Cocteau, this dance theatre work was lovingly interpreted for the small screen featuring in its original cast Graeme Murphy as Cocteau and Janet Vernon as Madame Cocteau. Murphy has called the work 'a Cocteau-esque poem'.
- Following the intense making of a Graeme Murphy's dance musical which unites the creative resources of Australia's two premiere dance companies, the Australian Ballet and the Sydney Dance Company. Through its process and with its creators and artists, we pay tribute to the rich heritage of the Tivoli Circuit - an era of variety theatre which helped to shape Australia's cultural identity, from the 1890's until the last show in 1966 - Ironically television was responsible for killing off the Tivoli but this program brings it all back to life again complete with feathers, dancing girls, a 3 meter high set of legs, the Colossal Spartacus Brothers and even bare breasted ladies who, for many Australian men in those days, where their first brush with nudity. There is an element of nostalgia to the production as the actress Toni Lamond recalls her experiences and laments the loss of opportunity for today's live variety acts. But any nostalgia and sadness is mixed with happiness as some of the original Tivoli dancers travel back to the rehearsal room to re tell, and relive, their glory days with all the young dancers involved.
- Over a few months, we follow internationally renowned choreographer Meryl Tankard and acclaimed composer Elena Kats-Chernin, together with artists of The Australian Ballet creating this brand new ballet and composition based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1838 fairy-tale 'The Wild Swans'. We are privy to an intense and dramatic journey where beauty, technique and joy mix with pain, sweat and tears almost on a daily basis. Meryl candidly allows us to be part of her creative process, a process where her improvisation techniques need to adapt to the disciplined world of The Australian Ballet, and where, despite the pressure of time, WILD SWANS comes together almost magically at its Sydney Opera House's premiere.