LES BALLETS DE CI DE LA

Les Ballets C. de la B., a collective of Flemish choreographers, was created 20 years ago by Alain Platel and is now world renowned for its eclectic, almost surrealist mixture of modern dance, plays and music.

To celebrate this anniversary, Alain Platel made a documentary following the company: "With the film, I wanted to take a look at the inside of Les Ballets C. de la B. (…) Documentary film seems to me to be an excellent medium both to emotionally get to our roots and to describe our history."

The film shows Platel's efforts to become closer to his dancers, celebrating the characteristics which fuel their performances. It also documents the differing reactions to his production Wolf at the Paris opera and his strong connection to his home city of Ghent. The film closes with the annual city festival, blurring the boundaries of life and art and giving us an insight into the origin of Platel's creative genius.

"All my performances are based on a similar approach: adapting to situations we constantly encounter and looking for the "emotional" where one wouldn't necessarily expect it. To convey the nature of our creative work, I often position myself on the sidelines in order to get a better look at the center of the action. However, in this film, I wanted to present a view from inside our company, Les Ballets C. de la B., to show how we implement our utopian vision and try to share it with others. This is not a film about the Ballets, but rather with it and all those who have played a part in our history over the last twenty years." (Alain Platel)