VIrtual Reality

A History of Cuban Dance

Lucy Walker

Lucy Walker (Waste Land, 2010) invites you to the streets of Havana to discover the exuberant and spontaneous dances that embody Cuba’s rich cultural heritage. Organic, spontaneous, sexy dances progress chronologically through Afro-Cuban Santería rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, salsa, breakdancing, and reggaeton. Palpable and transporting, this live-action virtual reality documentary was lmed on location in Cuba and features Ballet de la Televisión Cubana, the National Afro Cuban Ballet and Danza Abierta.

Lucy_walker

Lucy Walker

Lucy Walker is an Emmy-winning British film director who has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and is renowned for creating riveting, character-driven nonfiction that delivers emotionally and narratively. The Hollywood Reporter has called her ”the new Errol Morris” and Variety has praised her unique ability to connect with audiences. Lucy grew up in England and attended Oxford University, where she graduated with top honors in literature, and directed theater and musical theater before winning a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the Graduate Film Program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. There she earned an MFA and directed award-winning short fiction films. While living in New York, she also enjoyed a successful career as a DJ and musician. Lucy's films include feature documentaries The Crash Reel (2013), Waste Land (2010), Countdown to Zero (2010), Blindsight (2006), Devil’s Playground (2002) and short films, notably The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011) and The Lion’s Mouth Opens (2014), most of them screened at ZagrebDox, with Waste Land winning the Audience Award. Her films have been shortlisted for five Oscars (nominated for two), nominated for seven Emmys (winning one), an Independent Spirit Award, a DGA Award, a Gotham Award, and have won over one hundred other film awards. For her advertising work she has been recognized with awards including three Cannes Lions, two Clios and two Association of Independent Commercial Producers awards. Lucy is also an acclaimed virtual reality director. Her first VR experience, A History of Cuban Dance (2016), premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and showed at SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival. She has directed branded VR experiences for AirBnB, Toms Shoes, Vaseline, Vice, and the Buena Vista Social Club.

General sponsor

A History of Cuban Dance

USA
2016, 6'

Directed by:
Lucy Walker

Cinematography:
Lucy Walker, Juan Carlos Zaldívar, Lucas Gath, Julian Cautherley

Edited by:
John Carner, Luis Lopez, Dan Oberle

Producers:
Patrick Milling Smith, Samantha Storr, Julian Cautherley

Produced by:
Broad Green Pictures, Tree Tree Tree, VRSE.works

Festivals & Awards:

Sundance Film Festival 2016; Tribeca Film Festival 2016; Hot Docs 2016; San Francisco Dance Film Festival 2016; Sydney Film Festival 2016; Big Sky Documentary Film Festival 2016; Free Zone Belgrade 2016; Havana Film Festival New York 2016; Havana Glasgow Film Festival 2016; Ivy Film Festival 2016; Margaret Mead Film Festival 2016; Cuban Culture Festival New York 2016