Sonya Stefan

A choreographer in the midst of creation embarks on a journey though the traces of her memories in Columbia, shaped by the violence of the 1990s. Her memories lead her into a new space of introspection, body perception, and time, allowing her to become a woman free to exist.

Separated by four sections, this film embraces the unpolished aesthetic of contact printed black & white film stock and creates a link with basic formal contemporary dance elements. These elements are then subjected to various re-photographic techniques such as reversal color film stock, homemade filters and light manipulations. I used these techniques to transform the dancers' movements from representation to abstraction.

In filmmaker Sonya Stefan’s hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a truss arch bridge straddles the St. Marys River, linking Canada to the United States. But underneath the bridge, a kind of liminal space exists where the notion of borders is blurred. With a wild yet carefully controlled energy, this deconstructed work transports us to the curious site where, it seems, anything is possible. Somewhere between an autobiographical piece, a heartfelt tribute to an immigrant mother whose fate is out of her hands, and a dance film rich in poetry and symbolism, this ode to freedom bubbles with reflections and experimentations – all set against the imposing backdrop of factory chimneys.

Hand-drawn on transparent 16 mm film and then digitized, this film is the result of a collaboration with École de la Tortue-des-Bois at La petite place des arts in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc, Quebec. It dances between sound and color, playing with rhythm and translucent layers. Created as part of the exhibition “Les traces” (Traces).

Sonya Stefan turn on the TV, drink a coffee and then she rehearse for her dance show.

Endless days of cold snow. The crisp air hugs my body, The trees I live next to remain dormant throughout the winter. I stare up at them, excited to see the Spring shift. I tell them, I love you. I’m waiting for Spring. I’m waiting for Organ Rhythms Under the Rain. Camera: Bolex Medium: 16mm Montreal during Winter

The sounds and images of Sonya Stefan and Stephanie Castonguay blend together in a common quest to transmit a sense of awareness of the interconnectedness between all beings. Stefan’s images zoom into miniature worlds as well as grandiose natural wonders in which manifest elements of the Earth. During a daily walking practice, she collects her images with both digital and 16mm apparatus, which are then composited to create meditative loops. Echoing Stefan’s universe, Castonguay’s disruptive sound seeks to play with aural textures by blending sounds of nature with electrical impulses. Working with errors, accidents, and bugs induced by her own sound machines, such as a pirated CD player and a modified scanner head, Castonguay explores the interconnection between the sonic and tactile senses.

Explores training techniques that dancers obsessively partake in when perfecting their bodies.