The Ferryman is a cinematic and choreographic exploration of the animistic roots of rituals, dance and sculpture. Through the journey of a half-deer, half-hunter character, the film is a metaphoric and visceral six-step ascent of a mountain, considered here a place of birth and death. Filmed in the stunning landscapes of Bali, Japan and Scotland, as well as the Louvre Museum, the ancestral and complex relationship of man and nature is portrayed through a series of striking ceremonies, contemporary dance performances and words, narrated by performance artist Marina Abramović. Between documentary and fiction, Gilles Delmas’ fascinating film is choreographed by Damien Jalet and hauntingly scored by composer Ryuchi Sakamoto

Credits

Film Gilles Delmas
Choreography, performance Damien Jalet
With the participation Marina Abramovic, Ryuichi Sakamoto
With Hoshino Fumihiro, Aimilios Arapoglou, Mirai Moriyama, Aakash Odedra, Clara Furey, the ensemble of Sebatu
Editing Marc Boyer
Co-production Lardux films, TVM cineplume, staatstheater Darmstadt
Duration 70 minutes

Damien Jalet is a French and Belgian freelance  choreographer and performer. Since 2000 he’s been working as the closest and most regular collaborator of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, within Les ballets C. de la B., Toneelhuis and Eastman vzw (he danced in "Rien de Rien", "Fo", "Tempus Fugit", "Myth" and recently "TeZukA").

In 2002 Jalet and Cherkaoui created "d’avant", together with Luc Dunberry and Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola, produced by Sasha Waltz and guests. Jalet and Cherkaoui also signed "Babel(words)". Damien Jalet also regularly works with Icelandic choreographer Erna Ómarsdóttir. Together they’ve been creating a number of works in collaboration with visual artist Gabriela Fridriksdóttir. Ómarsdóttir and Jalet also created "Black Marrow" for the renowned Australian company Chunky Move at the Melbourne international festival 2009.

In 2008 Jalet premiered "Three Spells" with dancer Alexandra Gilbert and composer Christian Fennesz for the Tokyo International Arts Festival. He also worked with other renowned choreographers, such as Wim Vandekeybus ("The day of heaven and hell") and Akram Khan (for whom he devised a solo segment in the piece "Desh")

Jalet has developed a big number of collaborations with high-level artists in different fields, such as theater director Arthur Nauzyciel, visual artists (Antony Gormley, Jim Hodges), musicians (Lady and Bird, Olof Arnalds, Florence + The Machine, Editors). He also worked with photographer Nick Knight and designer Bernhard Willhelm (the video "Men in tights") and with philosopher Giorgio Agemben and contemporary musician Stefano Scodanibio (the opera "Il cielo sulla terra").

In february 2013 he directed an important choreographic installation named "les médusés" in some of the greatest rooms of  Louvre museum in  Paris  with the participation of more than 30 artists from different disciplines. In Mai 2013 he creates in collaboration with Cherkaoui and legendary performance artist Marina Abramovic, a new version of Ravel's "Bolero" for the Paris Opera Ballet, the costumes were designed by Givenchy's artistic director Riccardo Tisci and the 11 dancer's cast included étoiles Aurélie Dupont, Marie Agnès Gillot and Jérémie  Bélingard.

Source : Damien Jalet’s website

More information : damienjalet.com