Experiencing Interruptions?

The Dance of Death

In the backstage dressing room at the premiere of the dance theater production of The Rite of Spring, a transgender dancer past her prime receives a phone call from the hospital.
She learns of her mother's death, which puts her in a quandary about whether or not to continue performing as the lead and the painful memories of her teenage relationship with her mother and the painful memories of her teenage relationship with her mother.

  • Rongduo Li
    Director
  • Rongduo Li
    Writer
  • Pengyue Qiao
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 31, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Language:
    Chinese, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Prores 422, Mp4
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Peking University
Director Biography - Rongduo Li
Director Statement

By chance, I saw the play Rite of Spring directed by Yang Liping. The idea of combining this work with dance theater was born in me. And after watching the movie Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, a director I like very much, I decided to focus on the physical details and movements of the characters in the movie.
Ninety-nine percent of the movie was shot in the same small indoor theater. I followed some of the cinematography and lighting styles of my previous films, while the anti-realistic style of the images served to enhance the integration of video and theatrical elements.
In the post-production of the film, I decided to use frequent jump cuts to create a sense of abstraction and tightness of thought. Of course, this also enhances the perception of the stage play.
One of the shots I was most satisfied with was the long shot of the protagonist walking through a dark stage passage. Of course, this is a pseudo-one-shot. But the important thing is that it keeps the protagonist's journey through the key stages fascinatingly coherent.
I produced an original soundtrack and a classical piece by Bach for this short. This is listed in the credits with specific information.