Passing by
– Three short films from abnormal times
Three documentary short films directed by visual artist Anna Nykyri: In-Between (2020), Shifting (2019) and Passing by (2020) reflect the current unexceptional times through choreographic thinking. In-Between focuses on distances between people and cities during the pandemic. Passing by shows a carcass of a young roe deer slowly decomposing in a forest, whilst cars are fast passing by on a nearby highway. Shifting reflects the transition of three dancers’ professional identity in New York.
All three films have been completed during a year, from October 2019 to October 2020.
In-Between (2020)
2’51”
In-Between, 2020 (2’51) is a short film by the Finnish visual artist, choreographer, and film director Anna Nykyri, in which she collaborated with the photographers Aukusti Heinonen, Juan Pablo de la Vega and Griselda San Martin in different cities around the world – Helsinki, Mexico City, and New York, respectively – to capture its cityscapes during the pandemic and their relationship with the transient bodies that avoid contact with each other.
The documentary film curated by Andrea Valencia, is conceived as a montage that compiles photography and moving image to grasp the results of social distancing in the three cities, which are connected by the shared experience of the pandemic. By capturing details and fragments of the spaces and the moving bodies, In-Between suggests that, while movement and touch are being restricted, we are living an emotional collective experience.
‘In-Between’ was supported and commissioned by The Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes’ Together Alone project and supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Shifting (2019)
15’15”
“Shifting” is a short documentary dance film of three women, whose number one goal in life has been to work as a professional dancer in New York. Due to an injury, lack of resources and competitiveness of the field, their dreams are shifting into others.
Yet, dance is still present in their life, because it would not let them go.
Director and screenwriter: Anna Nykyri
Dancers: Isabella M. Kazanecki, Oona Touissant & Willa Carroll
Composer: Petri Kuljuntausta
DOP: Aitor Mendilibar
Editors: Maria Haipus & Jaakko Peltokangas
Sound design: Jukka Nurmela
Producer: Satu Majava / Oktober Oy
Executive producer: Joonas Berghäll / Oktober Oy
In collaboration with: Alfred Kordelin Foundation, AVEK – Promotion Centre for Audiovisual Culture, Finnish Culture Institute in New York, ISCP – International Studio & Curatorial Program, Finnish Cultural Foundation / Uusimaa & Arts Promotion Centre.
Passing by (2020)
Documentary short film 1’50”
Note: Not for persons under 7 years, may cause anxiety.
Passing by shows a carcass of a young roe deer slowly decomposing in a forest, whilst cars are fast passing by on a nearby highway. The film creates a strong emotional charge of passing by; moving from the highway into the forest, details of fur, flies, a carcass – then distancing again, leaving the calf to be covered by the forest.
The film was supported by The Promotion Center for Audiovisual Culture AVEK / Media Art and Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
Directing and screenwrite: Anna Nykyri
Cinematography: Italo Moncada
Editing: Jaakko Peltokangas
Music: Mikko Joensuu
Sound desig: Juuso Oksala
Color correction: Juuso Laatio
Anna Nykyri (b.1981) works as a visual artist, film director and screenwriter with moving image in the fields of visual arts, film industry and contemporary dance. As her tools Nykyri uses choreographic thinking, video and found footage to create documentary films and cinematic video installations. The themes of Nykyri’s works are often social but also corporeal, for example covering questions of freedom, gender, power and control.