16:00 min | 2006 | USA
Director: Karina Epperlein | Featuring: Homer Avila
http://www.karinafilms.us/phoenix.html
Aren’t there days when we wake up with no hope, feeling crippled in visible and invisible ways, longing to overcome our limitations of the heart? And then suddenly, to our surprise, we are touched and find the courage to live life with all its possibilities, life in all its beauty.
Imagine a dancer: The body his instrument, his legs and feet so essential. What if he is missing one leg? Is dancing still possible? Homer does just that – he dances with one leg. No crutches, nothing. And he makes it look like the most beautiful thing on earth.
My work has always aspired toward the themes of transformation and healing; not shying away from looking into the dark corners, finding the light. I bring to Phoenix Dance more than my background as a documentary filmmaker. I am drawn to it by my previous experience as a professional dancer, choreographer, performer and director in theater, and my lifelong work in movement, creative expression and healing, including 20 years as a teacher of T'ai Chi, breath and sound. No matter which medium I am working in, I strive to translate my inner poetic language into images that are emotionally charged and speak to the audience on a visceral level, taking them on a journey.
Phoenix Dance was Short-listed for 2006 Oscar nomination: Short Documentary.
