Experiencing Interruptions?

Breathless Puppets

Forced apart in childhood by the expectations of their cultures and the disapproval of their fathers, two men with a passion for dance reconnect through the tragedy of the pandemic. Choreographed by Akram Khan and directed by Naaman Azhari, this powerful short film uses rotoscope animation, created by hand-drawing over live action footage.

  • Akram Khan
    Director
  • Naaman Ahzari
    Writer
  • Anna Moutrey
    Producer
  • Akram Khan
    Co-Creator & Choreographer
  • Naaman Azhari
    Co-creator, Writer, Director & Animator
  • Vincenzo Lamagna
    Composer
  • Hannes Langolf
    Co-Choreographer
  • Mavin Khoo
    Rehearsal Director
  • Aisheshek Magauina
    Assistant Animator
  • Surenee Somchit
    Stage Manager
  • Olivia Sudjic
    Literary Consultant
  • Kelsey Rushworth
    Sound Recordist
  • Akram Khan
    Key Cast
    "Karim"
  • Hannes Langolf
    Key Cast
    "Nick"
  • Ashton Hall
    Key Cast
    "Young Nick"
  • Robbie Ordona
    Key Cast
    "Young Karim"
  • Surenee Somchit
    Key Cast
    "Stage Manager/Nurse"
  • Celine Gaubert
    Extras
  • Graham Cutting
    Extras
  • Mark Noble
    Extras
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 39 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    67,500 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Akram Khan

Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated dance artists today, building his reputation on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and profoundly moving productions such as Outwitting the Devil, XENOS, Until the Lions, Kaash, DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. Khan’s choreography is the embodiment of shared exploration across multiple disciplines and cultures. As an instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists including dance artists such as Sylvie Guillem, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Israel Galván, visual artists Tim Yip, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, and music artists Nitin Sawhney, Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine. A highlight of his career was the creation of a section for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony that was received with unanimous acclaim.

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Director Statement

The project is a response to Covid 19....it is about 2 men who are friends. Their history and how that affects their future..... it reflects life: Life is never clear, you recognise some parts of life, you think you are in control of some parts of life and really, you are not.