In his book, 'In an Unspoken Voice,' Peter Levine writes that 'Trauma is caused when we are unable to release blocked energies, to fully move through the physical/emotional reactions to hurtful experience. Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness. The salvation, then, is to be found in the body.'"
"The Hush Behind the Lips" is housing the imagination of such a witness to one's own untransformed pain. The film was initiated in 2017, and the story holds the types of oppression, domination, and untransformed contradictions that run through Iran's history, in particular around the notion of patriarchy and its manifestations. However, the film is not limited to Iran's history. It touches on the human condition that evolve itself in various forms throughout history. The film acknowledges the limitations of the notion of patriarchy and sees it as an expression of untransformed inner contradictions within an individual and/or society.
In one sense the relationship to pain, unease, and inner contradiction shape how individuals and societies find meaning and truth. This film introduces compassion in this dwell.
To hear the story behind the making of the film, I invite you to play the audio file above.
Below is the rehearsal for the film, based on contact dance improvisation. Cheryl Pallant who is an author, mover, and poet is preparing the cast for their roles.
Cast
Behind the scene
This film could not come to life without the contribution of the cast and crew, as well as the support of VCUarts Research Grant. Find out about them by clicking on their names:
Cast:
Cheryl Pallant, author and poet
Kylie Newcomb, artist and photographer
Kevin Gallaghar, filmmaker and photographer
Frances Wessells, Dancer and the founder of VCU Dance and Choreography
Artistic mentors:
Ariana Hamidi, filmmaker
Sasha Waters, filmmaker, professor
Marry Beth Reed, filmmaker, professor
Sonali Gulati, filmmaker, professor
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Many thanks to Michelle Taft, Alex Coyle, Will Barker, Olivia Cliff and Jared as the crew.
Many thanks to Jeanie Keys for the works of art.
