Yannis Nikolaidis: Cabin 9

This project’s starting point was the question of how organized human movement could be used as a narrative medium in a motion picture. Cinema mostly works with images and dialogue to unfold the narrative; therefore the “omission” of the dialogue was a true challenge for my research.

Driven by a wish to experiment with the materiality of both film and dance, I attempted to devise a new narrative approach, based on the observation and practical understanding of human movement. My aim was to highlight and systematize the way of recording the – often imperceptible – diversifications that comprise what we call body language. Cinema as a medium is equipped with tools that can easily penetrate the most delicate nuances of bodily expression.

The film’s script is structured following the form of a choreographic script. In other words, the standard format of writing a script is not employed, but is rather transformed into a personalized form of scribbles, ideas, and sensations that serve the choreography and are highlighted by the bodies themselves and their very movement. The principle of improvisation provided the foundation of the world of the script and the dramaturgy, which was built during the shooting. The footage that was interesting or served the evolution of the plot was thoroughly rehearsed until we reached the desired effect.