La danseuse Nora Chipaumire, née au Zimbabwe en 1965, revient vers les paysages de son enfance et entreprend un voyage à travers quelques souvenirs vivaces de sa jeunesse. Grâce aux représentations et à la danse, elle fait revivre son histoire.

« Nora » s’inspire de faits réels de la vie de la danseuse Nora Chipaumire, née au Zimbabwé en 1965. Dans le film, Nora retourne au pays de son enfance et accomplit un voyage à travers quelques souvenirs marquants de sa jeunesse. En se servant du jeu d’acteur et de la danse, elle donne vie à son histoire, dans un poème de sons et d’images au rythme alerte.
Entièrement tourné en Afrique du Sud, « Nora » intègre également une multitude d’artistes et de danseurs locaux de tous âges, de jeunes élèves aux vieilles grands-mères. Une bonne part de la musique a été spécialement composée par une légende de la musique zimbabwéenne : Thomas Mapfumo.

35 min, États-Unis – Mozambique – Grande Bretagne
Auteur-Réalisateur : Alla Kovgan, David Hinton
Auteur : Nora Chipaumire
Image : Mkrtich Malkhasyan
Montage : Alla Kovgan
Production / Diffusion : Movement Revolution Productions (MRP)

2009 : Doc en courts – Lyon (France) – Mention spéciale
2009 : Cinéma du réel – Paris (France) – Compétition Internationale

« Nora » is a dense and swiftly moving poem of sound and image that tells the story of a dancer growing up in Zimbabwe.

The dancer Nora Chipaumire, born in Zimbabwe in 1965, returns to the landscape of her childhood and takes a journey through some vivid memories of her youth. Using performance and dance, she brings her history to life.

« Nora » is based on true stories of the dancer Nora Chipaumire, who was born in Zimbabwe in 1965. In the film, Nora returns to the landscape of her childhood and takes a journey through some vivid memories of her youth. Using performance and dance, she brings her history to life in a swiftly-moving poem of sound and image. Shot entirely on location in Southern Africa, « Nora » includes a multitude of local performers and dancers of all ages, from young schoolchildren to ancient grandmothers, and much of the music is specially composed by a legend of Zimbabwean music – Thomas Mapfumo.

Title: Nora
Running Time : 35 minutes
Year of Release: 2008
Format: HD (1080-59.96i)
Projection Format: HDCAM, others
Aspect Ratio: 16×9
Sound: Stereo, Dolby Surround E 5.1
Languages: English

director: Alla Kovgan and David Hinton
screenplay: Alla Kovgan, David Hinton, Nora Chipaumire
choreographer: Nora Chipaumire (http://pentacle.org/roster_nora_chipaumire.asp)
orginal score: Thomas Mapfumo
performers: Nora Chipaumire, Souleymane Badolo and many extras
cinematographer: Mkrtich Malkhasyan (above stills credit: Mkrtich Malkhasyan)
editor: Alla Kovgan
producer: Joan Frosch
production company: Movement Revolution Productions (MRP)
distributor: MRP
country of production: USA, UK, Mozambique
commissioned by EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission 2007, supported by The Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts – Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center,
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA

in association with Center for World Arts, University of Florida


additional funding by
The Center for African Studies (University of Florida)
Office of Research, and Fine Arts Scholarship Enhancement Fund (University of Florida)
CAPTURE
Movement Revolution Productions

« [Nora] succeeds in combining a rough personal narrative with poetic, allusive imagery. »
– New York Times


« …dream-like recollections and vivid hues produce a rich and deeply satisfying film. »
– Brooklyn Rail



FESTIVALS / AWARDS

2009 | 4th Real Life Documentary Film Festival | ACCRA, Ghana | www.ka-yelema.org
* In Competition
* winner for the AfroPop prize: Nora Chipaumire, (Zimbabwe) the choregrapher and Alla Kovgan & David Hinton (Russia / US) the directors