Mammame

Directed by Raoul Ruiz
Produced by Theatre de la ville, Maison de la culture de grenoble, Arcanal
Genres : Experimental - Runtime : 1 h 5 min
French release : 23/07/1986
Production year : 1986

Director

Raoul
Ruiz

Actors

Eric
Alfieri

Mathilde
Altaraz

Muriel
Boulay

Christophe
Delachaux

Jean-Claude
Gallotta

About

"Except for The Red Shoes, this shot-by-shot rethinking of a dance performance by the Emile Dubois Dance Group, choreographed by Jean-Claude Gallotta and directed by Raul Ruiz, could be the greatest dance film ever made. Running only 65 minutes, the 1986 film is as much a sensual workout as Ruiz's Life Is a Dream is an intellectual one; its celebration of pure physicality and movement is as exciting for film lovers as it is for dance enthusiasts. Using a Welles-inspired cinematography of wide angles, deep focus, shadows, silhouettes, and tilted perspectives, Ruiz and his gifted cameraman, Acacio de Almeida, join the spirited group of nine dancers not as detached observers or as competitors but as collaborators in the deepest sense of the word. Working through a continually mutable stage decor until the performance reaches a grand climax in the open air, by the sea, the film is almost as arresting aurally as it is visually, thanks to its natural sounds, music, and nonverbal utterances, all of which are superbly integrated with the physical movements. An exhilarating masterpiece, and in many respects Ruiz's most accessible work of the 80s."

© Jonathan Rosenbaum, "Chicago Reader", 1987.

Production and distribution

Associate production company : Theatre de la ville, Maison de la culture de grenoble, Arcanal
French distribution : mk2

Full credits

Executive Producer : Jean-Luc Larguier
Screenwriters : Jean-Claude Gallotta, Raoul Ruiz
Director of Photography : Acacio de Almeida
Sound Recordist : Jean-Claude Brisson
Editor : Martine Bouquin
Assistant Editor : Sylvie Gadmer
Continuity supervisor : Barbara Constantine
Music Composers : Henri Torgue, Serge Houppin
Choreographer : Jean-Claude Gallotta
Sound Mixer : Alain Garnier

Technical details

Feature film
Genres : Experimental
Sub-genre : Documentation of live performance
Themes : Dance
Production language : French
Nationality : 100% French
Production year : 1986
French release : 23/07/1986
Runtime : 1 h 5 min
Current status : Released
Visa number : 62142
Visa issue date : 05/09/1986
Approval : Unknown
Color type : Color
Sound format : Mono

Festival Selections (1)

Rotterdam International Film Festival - 2004 Type : Feature film and short film festival Location : Netherlands