PROHAIRESIS, 13min., USA
Directed by Rebecca Arends
A 13 minute dance film featuring four female dancers filmed in four international locations and an all-female string quartet filmed in Chicago. The dance is based on Stoic philosopher Epictetus's concepts surrounding the faculty of choice, moral character and volition.

http://prohairesisfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rrhstrings/
https://www.instagram.com/noraruthwilliams/

Get to know the filmmakers:
Rebecca Arends: Director/ Choreographer/ Producer
Nora Williams: Executive Producer

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Rebecca:

I was facing a crossroads in my career and personal life and have always sought my faith, my father's wisdom, or philosophy to guide me. Prohairesis, the film, is a response to stoic philosopher, Epictetus's concept of the same name, which is translated to will, volition, moral character and exercising one's faculty of choice. I wanted the challenge of using this concept in a dance film.

Nora:

The pandemic doldrums motivated us to take artistic risks and try something different. Becca and I had wanted to do another project together and when two grants came in in close proximity in 2021, we knew we had a green light. For me personally, the death of my husband Shawn Quaid in July 2021 put in stark relief that the time is now to really live life to the fullest and pursue different opportunities that present themselves. It was an opportunity to communicate the sheer joy of the beauty of life through the lens of dance and string quartet.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Rebecca: 3 years

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Rebecca: Reflective and reflexive.

Nora: Choices, Beauty

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Rebecca: Editing

Nora: The learning curve of being a first-time filmmaker and not knowing the details and nuances of all the necessary steps.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Rebecca: Excited and proud to share the work.

Nora: I felt gratified that our artistic vision was appreciated by the viewers and emotional that our finished product was able to evoke varied responses.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Rebecca: I created a short solo piece to an excerpt of Clara Schumann's Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann. The choreography is a series of flashbacks and memories from my life. I made it the day after the premiere of the staged version of Prohairesis and somehow the two have become distant cousins in a sense. I imagined the Schumann dance to be a series of vignettes taking place in various locations much like the film version of Prohairesis. I was able to combine the two ideas and expand the Schumann piece which became Prohairesis, the film.

Nora: When Becca talked me into the film process and was incredilby passionate about bringing her choreography to life in a new format with a dream team of dancers she chose as well as having the string quartet play a role in addition to providing the soundtrack.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Rebecca: Spike Lee's Bamboozled

Nora: Star Wars ( all 9 films!) John Williams is a towering talent as a composer for the music for all these films. I love the scope of galactic storytelling.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Rebecca: Networking events.

Nora: Asking great questions of us, providing detailed feedback and helping us to see all the ways a film can get out into the larger world in order to inspire and connect others to the beauty of the performing arts and their own innate creativity.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Rebecca: Pretty easy but being new to filmmaking, it's a learning process.

Nora: Film Freeway is easy to navigate and there are lots of choices in the different kinds of festivals that are found there.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Rebecca: Mediterranean cuisine and a glass of Sancerre or Moscofilero.

Nora: Sushi and green tea

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Rebecca: Raising my daughter who was born in November 2023 and perhaps a sequel to Prohairesis.

Nora: Learning the promotion part of the film business, the distribution, understanding where our film can live and what other steps will allow it to come to its fullest expression in the world.

A possible film with the same cast dancing together!