Upward Spiral

Upward Spiral is an experimental Screendance documentary that navigates the subjective embodiment of selves, objects, and spaces, forging paths between aloneness and togetherness.

I created Upward Spiral to explore the subjectivities of embodiment that hover in the gaps between aloneness and togetherness. First, I worked with my cast members one-on-one to create single-shot films that explored how sacred objects, spaces, and routines are embodied within aloneness. Woven together, these individual experiences portray collective rituals and moods of identity and grounding – as represented by the “object-altar” – the materialities of embodiment.

I also collected 43 drawings, where I asked people to draw their response to the question: “How do you feel in your body right now?” During the rehearsal process, my cast and I explored how movement can influence, represent, and be inspired by the “body-drawing” lens of embodiment as a shared mode of articulation. We also played games and journaled to explore where the self changes between aloneness and togetherness – these processes culminating in a song and series of audio interviews in the film.

All together, the culmination of many subjective experiences, articulated progressively deeper through various mediums, guides the audience through a fundamentally human Upward Spiral towards a more articulately-embodied togetherness.

December 2022

Screenings:

CoLab Performing Arts Collective Fall 2022 Showcase

Pop-up: Screendance Showing