Dance lecturer Dr Paula Guzzanti at the Department of Dance Studies at the University of Malta is part of the official selection of the International Migration and Environmental Film Festival (IMMF) in Canada. Her entry is a screendance Documentary called ‘The Broken Body’ (2020), which is an artistic practice motivated and led by the human need to connect with others through the affective force of kindness.
IMEFF is North America’s largest film festival dedicated to presenting the best films on migration and the environment. This year's virtual edition is on until the 16th of October. You can get your film passes on the festival site.
The film exposes the corporeality of Nicaraguan refugees living in Costa Rica since the violence that broke out in the country after the anti-government marches of April 2018. The visual narrative integrates the stories of five Nicaraguan refugees with Dr Guzzanti's experience as dance facilitator working with displaced communities in Costa Rica. The storyline follows her emotional journey as dance facilitator as she tries to understand the effects of violence and traces of trauma imprinted on the bodies of the workshop participants. Using the language of dance improvisation, poetry, gesture and speech, the film aims to humanise the image that host societies generally construct around the label of refugee, bringing forward what we all have in common: our corporeal experiences and the needs for wellbeing, safety, and settlement.
The research project presented in the film is also discussed in a recent publication by the Australian-based journal Performance Paradigm.
Dr Guzzanti is keen to share this film with the UM community. If you are interested in using this film as part of an event or lectures, please contact her directly by email.