Bhairava
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A short dance film.
“Bhairava” evokes facets of Shiva, the Lord of Dance, as both the destroyer of evil and the guardian of time. He is fierce and drives terrible deeds, but he is also the Divine Protector and Supreme Guardian; his intention springs from pure compassion.
In this work, carried by a strong and deeply evocative musical score and by the singular energy of the ancient site of Hampi, dancer and choreographer Shantala Shivalingappa embodies the presence and distinctive qualities of Bhairava. With her technical mastery and refined expressivity, she alternates between moments of precise symbolic gestures and more abstract body language surging from the powerful and omnipresent persona of Bhairava, creating a vivid incarnation of the deity.
“A powerful integration of the elements of performance, music and film, Bhairava is a captivating window into something both ancient and alive.”
— LIGHT MOVES FESTIVAL, LIMERICK, IRELAND, NOVEMBER 2017
The
teaser ❯
The 14-minute site-specific dance-for-camera film was filmed on location in Anegundi and Hampi, India in February 2017.
FTA Cinédanse sous les étoiles — Montreal, 2025.
TRAILER
Discussing
Bhairava
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A short documentary to accompany the dance film Bhairava, featuring dancer-choreographer Shantala Shivalingappa.
Credits
Director: Marlene Millar & Philip Szporer
Choreographer, Dancer: Shantala Shivalingappa
Cinematographer: Kes Tagney
Writers: Marlene Millar, Shantala Shivalingappa, Philip Szporer
Editor: Marlene Millar
Sound Editor/Mix: Dino Giancola
Musical Composition: Ramesh Jetty
Musicians: Ramesh Jetty, B.P.Haribabu, N.Ramakrishnan, Jayaram Kikkeri Suryanarayan
Producers: Marlene Millar & Philip Szporer
Production Company / Distributor: Mouvement Perpétuel
The production was made possible with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Kishkinda Trust/Shama Pawar (Anegundi), and Danse Danse (Montréal).