The Swarm

France's world-famous Compagnie XY is making a splash with its latest creation, MÖBIUS. The piece is being hailed as a major breakthrough, the development of a new physical language. MÖBIUS virtuously combines world-class acrobatics with contemporary dance, experimenting with the flocking behavior of birds. THE SWARM explores the fluid grammar of this language and discovers its shallows: the human ego.
At the zenith of success, the planned tour bursts because of Covid-19. All guest performances are cancelled, only the renowned Grec Festival invites the company. After 4 months of forced break, the artists meet again. They have only 10 days to rehearse the complex choreography. But at the start of rehearsals, one of the main flyers gets sick - and this is not the only challenge.

France's world-famous Compagnie XY is facing a big challenge in 2020. Since its premiere last autumn, the circus collective has caused a sensation with its latest creation, MÖBIUS. MÖBIUS is being treated as a discovery, as a big hit, there is talk of the development of a new physical language. But at the zenith of success, the planned tour fell through. Because of Covid-19, all shows were cancelled. All except one: in mid-July, the Grec Festival Barcelona wants to show the play MÖBIUS.

After 4 months of forced break, the artists finally meet again.  They have only 10 days to rehearse the complex creation. But at the start of the rehearsals in Paris, the next problem is waiting: one of the artists is ill and drops out. There are no replacements. The acrobats are forced to divide the positions among themselves in order to be able to perform the play at all. And it does not remain with this one injury.

The audience experiences the turbulent rehearsal period from the first reunion to the spectacular performance in the Barcelona Amphitheatre. THE SWARM takes the viewer right into the middle of an artistic, highly creative and exciting world. From the first moment, the audience understands what company co-founder Abdeliazide Senhadji means when he says: "Acrobatics builds a radical relationship: if someone risks their life, you have no right to perform." The piece MÖBIUS virtuously combines world-class acrobatics with contemporary dance, experimenting with the flocking behaviour of birds. The film DER SCHWARM explores the fluid energy and grammar of Compagnie XY and discovers a sworn community. 

 

 

Picture: Susanne Diesner, Tanz wie ein Vogelschwarm -  das Stück Möbius verlangt höchste akrobatische Präzision

Documentary
52 minutes
Director
Ilka Franzmann
Director of Photography
Marcus Winterbauer
Film Editing
Nina Mühlenkamp
Post Production
Post Republic
Cine Complete GmbH
Production
Kinescope Film GmbH