Created in partnership with Campari as part of its dedication in supporting local artists, Red Passion is a short film exploring the intersections of dance and film. A trio of dancers expressing their evolution through solo, duet and ensemble pieces, the creative project from emerging Australian director Lara Köse and choreographer Zoee Marsh is now streaming on their respective Instagram profiles following its premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier in the month. In support of their talent and their dedication to the arts, our own Peter Gray connected with both Lara and Zoee to learn more about their collaborative process and what advice they would impart to fellow creatives minds.
How did it feel to have your film premiere at MIFF?
Lara Köse: It was so special for us to have our film premiere at MIFF and screen in the pre-roll for select feature films. MIFF is an event that I deeply admire and respect so it was an absolute honour and dream come true to share our work at the 2021 festival.
Zoee Marsh: I feel incredibly honoured to be involved in such a special collaboration between Campari and Melbourne International Film Festival and have our work showcased at such a prestigious forum. I’m so proud of our short-film and feel incredibly lucky to work alongside such a talented team to create it together!
How did the opportunity to premiere at MIFF come about?
Lara Köse: Campari was looking for creatives who embodied their Red Passion ethos, an inner flame that challenges you to leave your comfort zone, to come together and create a short-film exploring this. Being a MIFF Accelerator Lab alumni, I was approached by the Shorts Programmer with this opportunity to collaborate with Campari and the other emerging creatives to create a short-film that would premiere at the 2021 festival.
Why a short film?
Lara Köse: Filmmaking is inherently a collaborative art form. This film gave me the opportunity to collaborate with creatives who I admire and have wanted to work with for so long, as well as connect with new creatives. These kinds of collaborative projects are always the most rewarding for me. When I can see the collective efforts of everyone on screen, I feel an immense sense of pride.
Zoee Marsh: When Campari reached out and explained that they wanted to bring together emerging artists from different disciplines to create a movement piece to evoke the meaning of Red Passion, I was very intrigued. I’ve also been a fan of Lara’s filmmaking for a little while now and really respect her as an artist so I couldn’t say no!
Can you tell me about Red Passion?
Lara Köse: We created Red Passion, a short dance film exploring passion and self-expression through movement. As the name suggests, our film was inspired by Campari’s Red Passion ethos and is the result of a collaborative effort between myself, Zoee and our incredibly talented team.
Zoee Marsh: Myself, Lara, and Will, alongside our extremely talented dancers and crew, came together to create Red Passion, a movement piece that reflects self inquiry, connection, community and union. Our film explores the evolution of three dancers, giving shape to our Red Passion in solo, duet and ensemble form. When building the choreography, we paced it out over 3 chapters with each dancer/s representing different perspectives of self-inquiry.
To those trying to emerge in the industry, Lara, would you have any knowledge to impart?
Lara Köse: Filmmaking is incredibly difficult, so having a supportive community is really important. If you can find even a few like-minded creatives who you really connect with, the journey will be so much easier and enjoyable. For Red Passion, I was able to connect with new creatives and expand my community once again. It was incredible working with choreographer Zoee, I loved seeing her unique creative process and the film gave us the opportunity to combine our passions.
Don’t isolate yourself. Find other creatives you respect and make an effort to engage in their work. My biggest inspirations are always other filmmakers and offering your time and skills to their projects expands your community and inspires you to improve and refine your own creative practice. Campari’s Red Passion ethos says that when you explore other creative realms, it inspires creativity in others and I couldn’t agree more
There are so many films and filmmakers out there, but if your work comes from a place of authenticity, it will always be engaging. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make a film exploring dance. There are more experienced dance filmmakers than me, but I knew that if I worked closely with Zoee and the dancers and showcased their unique talents, we would be able to create something to be proud of.
You can view Red Passion on either Lara’s Instagram or Zoe’s Instagram.
