THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS
A trilogy of short poetic films directed by Avatâra Ayuso in which three female characters in different life stages survive in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Their endurance and persistence make them heroines of their own destiny and despite the harshness of the habitats they belong to, there is space for their imagination to soar, allowing us to enter their inner world of aspirations, dreams and desires. In interaction with the landscape, their bodies, their movements and their gestures will tell us their stories. We are there to listen, to observe the beauty of the extraordinary relationship they have developed with the land they belong to. Raja, Sophia and Naulaq are our three protagonists, in interaction with three astonishing natural characters: the desert, the underwater world and the frozen landscapes.
See here the making of I AM RAJA, the first of our artistic adventure
See here the making of I AM RAJA, the first of our artistic adventure
Avatâra's statement
I have always been fascinated by life in extreme landscapes. My parents often took me to remote places to discover how other cultures express themselves, how other people survive and inhabit the land they live in. Some of the most striking and shocking memories I have come from these trips to Morocco, Mali, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Egypt. The beauty, immensity and ruggedness of those landscapes made me aware of something very special: the determination and endless strength that women need to have in order to survive there
The women I have met on my travels have significant family responsibilities, they are subject to great social pressure, and they are the ones that have to fight every single day to make their voice heard. I realised that they were and they are the forgotten characters in their own lives. I always wanted to share my admiration for their strength with those around me. In 2015 I decided there was no reason to delay this wish any longer. Observing and experiencing it myself was not enough.
Celebrating the extraordinary determination of those women is the mission of THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS, a poetic film project where three extreme landscapes (the desert, the underwater and the frozen landscape) are home for our three inspiring protagonists.
Visibility of the Trilogy
My wish is that everyone can use the films in their own way, organizing screenings and becoming ambassadors for it Avatâra Ayuso.
The films will be shown at schools, community centres, theatres or galleries accompanied by talks to introduce not only dance but centrally to promote discussion on the role of the women in the XXI century. The list of viewings includes:
Avatâra has dreamt of THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS to be a work to not only give visibility to these extraordinary lives and places, but also to empower girls and women by making them aware of how other women live and of their own capabilities. The project aims to remind them that they can find the way to be whatever they want, to give them strength to keep on fighting and growing, always being confident with who they are.
With a mostly female crew, the trilogy encourages all women to be into the film industry as directors, choreographers, producers, editors, writers, movement assistants, composers or camera women by showing how we work.
The films will be shown at schools, community centres, theatres or galleries accompanied by talks to introduce not only dance but centrally to promote discussion on the role of the women in the XXI century. The list of viewings includes:
- On stage as part of a mixed evening of dance works
- Participation in film festivals
- Tools to be shared with schools in the UK as part of the Inspiring the future, Inspiring women
- National UK Platform
- As part of symposiums, conferences or sharing about empowering women
- Installation format
- Photographic exhibition on women might accompany the screaming of the film
Avatâra has dreamt of THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS to be a work to not only give visibility to these extraordinary lives and places, but also to empower girls and women by making them aware of how other women live and of their own capabilities. The project aims to remind them that they can find the way to be whatever they want, to give them strength to keep on fighting and growing, always being confident with who they are.
With a mostly female crew, the trilogy encourages all women to be into the film industry as directors, choreographers, producers, editors, writers, movement assistants, composers or camera women by showing how we work.
Why THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS matters?
The three films represent a forgotten culture by showing either the current life they carry or the life they used to carry until not so long ago. The aim of the trilogy is to give visibility and to help to preserve cultures that are threatened in the current world that globalisation has shaped.
Avatâra believes everyone should go to the desert, underwater and to a frozen landscape at least once in their life. Both the overwhelming nature and the solitude of those landscapes trigger in the human beings a whole addition of fresh feelings and thoughts. You may face your own fears and appreciate the actual pace of nature, and you will definitely come to an appreciation of the astonishing beauty of the natural world.
Avatâra believes everyone should go to the desert, underwater and to a frozen landscape at least once in their life. Both the overwhelming nature and the solitude of those landscapes trigger in the human beings a whole addition of fresh feelings and thoughts. You may face your own fears and appreciate the actual pace of nature, and you will definitely come to an appreciation of the astonishing beauty of the natural world.
The Common Element of the THREE FILMS
Dramaturgically, there will be several elements that are shown in the three films, moments that belong to each character but will remind us that, as human beings, we all have things in common, regardless of our culture, religion, nationality or environmental background. These gestures will be choreographed in a way that can be rehearsed and be perceived as common elements along the three films. Nevertheless, there will be an element that will be the conducting thread through all of the films - water. Water is a highly symbolic element in all cultures: it means life, motion, renewal, reflection, fertility purification and transformation. It is a symbol for metamorphosis, it triggers change. Our characters confront the mercurial nature of water as well as its ability to help them survive in each landscape. Water will become a co-protagonist through these three stories.
The Physicality of the Trilogy
Throughout the trilogy there is another common presence: the personal understanding of the movement and stillness that comes from the dance background of Avatâra. A whole life dedicated to dance leaves a huge footprint in the way one understands the arts or even daily life. In her short films, Avatâra makes her characters express their feelings and their desires through their bodies. The rhythm of their steps or their impulses under water reveal their mood and their levels of energy, while the length of the shots and the angles of them is how Avatâra choreographs the film.
@ Images Juan Ayuso and Avatâra Ayuso
@ Images Juan Ayuso and Avatâra Ayuso
The idea motivating THREE WOMEN THREE FILMS - multi-generational women in extreme locations - is strong and ambitious. If there's anyone who can pull it off with complete creative grace it's Avatara Ayuso, a dancer, choreographer and now film-maker with an eye for both the bigger picture and the telling detail.
Donald Hutera (a veteran arts journalist, curator and dramaturg UK)
Donald Hutera (a veteran arts journalist, curator and dramaturg UK)
