Dancing with the Unknown
"Dancing with the Unknown" is a film that explores the transformative power of music, specifically through the ancient Indian classical instruments, the Esraj and Sitar. The film follows a marionette, symbolizing a divine or human presence, as it travels through history, emerging in modern life as a totem that awakens dormant human nature through the art of dance. The film explores the dialogue between masculine and feminine stages, exploring recognition, opposition, reconciliation, and ultimately, a transformative union.
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Iasonas PsarakisDirector
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Iasi EnsembleMusic
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Iasonas PsarakisMusic Composer
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Nikolas GkinisMusic Production
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Suhaee AbroChoreography
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Takis LoukatosChoreography
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Suhaee AbroKey Cast"Dancer"
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Takis LoukatosKey Cast"Dancer"
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Iasonas PsarakisKey Cast"musician (sitar & esraj)"
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Metamorphosis NPOProducer
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Iasonas PsarakisProducer
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Aritra GoswamiEditor
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Iasonas PsarakisCinematography
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Iasonas PsarakisCamera
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Maria VakonakiCamera
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Giorgos GaitatzisCamera
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Takis LoukatosScenography
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Groova StudioSudio Recording
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Nikolas GkinisMastering/ Mixing/ Sound Engineering
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Takis LoukatosSculptures
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Project Type:Experimental, Music Video
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Runtime:3 minutes 6 seconds
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Completion Date:February 2, 2023
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Production Budget:100 EUR
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Country of Origin:Greece
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Country of Filming:Greece
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Thomas Edison Film Festival 2024
United States
February 16, 2024
USA Premiere
Award Winner: Honorable Mention for Screendance -
Jaipur International Film Festival 2024Jaipur
India
February 9, 2024
Indian Premiere
Award Winner: Best Music Video -
Emerging Lens Cultural FIlm Festival 2023Halifax
Canada
April 21, 2023
World Premiere
Nominee for Best Music Video -
International Sound & Film Music Festival (ISFMF) 2023Pula
Croatia
October 12, 2023
Croatian Premiere
Nominee for Best Music Video -
X World Short Film Festival 2023Rome
Italy
June 17, 2023
European Premiere
Award Winner: Best Direction for Dance Video -
Athens International Digital Film Festival AIDFF 2023Athens
Greece
December 9, 2023
National Premiere
Nominee for Best Dance Short -
X World Short Film Festival 2023Rome
Italy
June 17, 2023
European Premiere
Finalist for Best Dance Video -
X World Short Film Festival 2023Rome
Italy
June 17, 2023
European Premiere
Finalist for Best International Music Video -
X World Short Film Festival 2023Rome
Italy
June 17, 2023
European Premiere
Finalist for Best Performance for Music Video
Iasonas Psarakis is a Greek-born composer and musician of North Indian Classical and World music, soloist of Sitar, Esraj and many other world music instruments, presently based in Santiniketan, Kolkata, India and Crete, Greece.
His career spans from European classical to Middle Eastern Music and journeys through Hindusthani Classical Music under the guidance of his gurus: Ameena Perera (daughter of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan), Pandit Debi Prasad Chatterjee, Shiraz Ali Khan, Amie Maciszawski and Sabyasachida Sarkhel.
He graduated from Sangit Bhavan - Visva Bharati University (BMus-HCM- Sitar/performance arts, final grade A+) and is a holder of scholarships under ICCR India along with 4 other Indian Merit scholarships.
Iasonas published his first album “Clay” (2014), a music album which was recorded in Lebanon with elements of Indian Classical Music and sounds of Iran.
He has showcased his music in theatres, concert halls, auditoriums, collectives, cultural venues, street performances, radios, international music festivals and archaeological sites in : Greece, Egypt, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, India, Italy, Bangladesh,Turkey, Italy.
In 2019 the world-renowned cultural organization “Bibliotheca Alexandrina” organized his first solo concert in Cairo, in the palace Beyt al Sinnari . He recently performed in the historical theatre "Apollon"(Ermoupolis) and Theocharakis B&M Foundation for the Fine Arts & Music in Greece.
Iasonas is also the founder and composer of the musical art collective “Iasi Ensemble” whose debut music album named "Astris", produced by Nikolas A Gkinis, is going to be released soon and includes collaborations with esteemed musicians and artists from Iran, India, Greece, Pakistan and China.
Their track “Whirling Desert” ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9B1q2bKGm4 ) composed, orchestrated and directed by Iasonas, awarded (Best Music Arrangement) by the legend of guitar “Al Di Meola” at the Palm Beach International Music Awards and also awarded twice (Silver Award for Composition , Silver Award for Concept) by Global Music Awards . Also won 31 awards from recognized International Film Festivals and nominated 451 times . ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14388376/ )
In 2022, he composed music for a musical experimental film named "Missing Moments" and up to now, has been awarded by recognized international film festivals for his original music in this film seven times (Best Original Score)
Iasonas is also a part of the musical "Hellenic Traditional Project", produced by Nikolas A Gkinis.
Iasonas also collaborates with renowned international artists like Kehua Li ( Lico Dance),Suhaee Abro, Nikolas A Gkinis, Takis Loukatos, Ador Hooyar and many others.
Most recently, he founded and curated the International “Independent Global Art Festival” and “Mukhti Bhoomi Festival", both hosted by Hihiri Pipiri international Art Residency.
www.iasiensemble.com
As a composer, musician, filmmaker and artist, I am passionate about exploring the transformative power of art and its ability to connect cultures and unite nations. "Dancing with the Unknown" is a project that embodies this ethos, bringing together ancient music forms, contemporary arts, dance, and sculptures to create a new art form that offers a fresh perspective on the world.
At the heart of this project is Indian Classical Music, represented through the Sitar and the Esraj, two ancient instruments that are infused with cosmic vibrations. These instruments have the power to harmonize opposing forces and tendencies of being, balancing the material and transcendental worlds.
Through the therapeutic power of music, the Sitar and the Esraj travel across space-time, drawing the necessary quantum energy vibrations to activate and balance the universe. This cosmic journey is brought to life through the art of dance, as a marionette travels through history and emerges in modern life as a totem, arousing dormant human nature.
The dialogue between masculine and feminine stages in dance explores recognition, opposition, reconciliation, and ultimately a transformative union. The two beings are led to a blessed state of complete unity, absolute love, and mastery of the art of Sitar and Esraj.
In the final act of the film, the totem departs from space-time, leaving its memory in the sculpted forms of dolls that observe the course of human beings as creations of itself, imprints and reference points of the periods of its culture.
This is an international project that brings together artists from different cultures, backgrounds, and disciplines. It is a testament to the power of art to break down barriers and unite people, and it is my hope that this project will inspire others to use their creativity to effect positive change in the world.
As the director of "Dancing with the Unknown," I am proud to have been a part of this project and to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such talented artists. It is my hope that this film will be a tribute to the transformative power of art and a reminder of the beauty and diversity of the human experience.