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Bhairava

A dance-for-camera film by Mouvement Perpétuel By Megha Chatterjee

Hindu mythology associates Shiva with both the annihilation of evil as well as the mighty guardian of time. The name, Bhairava, originates from the Sanskrit word bhīru, meaning fearful. Lord Bhairava is often described as a protector of dreadful enemies, greed, lust and anger. He evokes these primary facets of Shiva in intensity and doing evil deeds but, conversely, he is also the Divine Protector and Supreme Guardian.

The film features Shantala Shivalingappa, who gracefully epitomizes the aura and unique characteristics of the deity with her technical mastery and refined expressivity. Creating a vivid incarnation of the deity, she alternates between moments of accurate symbolic gestures or mudras and abstract body language. The eccentric energy of the ancient site of Hampi, coupled with a phenomenal and deeply reminiscent musical score, recreate the omnipresent persona of the supreme being.

Bhairava was directed and produced by veteran dance-filmmakers Marlene Millar and Philip Szporer (Mouvement Perpétuel, Montréal) with cinematography by Kes Tagney. It was filmed on location in Anegundi and Hampi, India in February 2017. This teaser was edited by Saria Chatila.

Learn more >> mouvementperpetuel.net

See more work by Shantala Shivalingappa >> shantalashivalingappa.com

Posted January 5, 2018

Caribana is Our Stage

Themes of becoming, shaping from and returning to are central to Caribbean performance arts. As one of these art forms, Carnival is a nuanced performance art practice rooted in the cultural memory of the lives of Caribbean peoples throughout Canada and the diaspora. But whose story is told (or not told) and in what context? The telling or omission of stories can be traced to a lack of understanding of the complexity of the Caribbean and its Carnival – a performance tradition that is more than the mass commodification, sexuality and “loud music” we often associate it with.

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