Swan Song screening with Q&A
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Innis Town Hall
Innis College
2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5
Join us for the screening of Swan Song followed by a Q&A with members of the creative team focusing on the making of a film about dance, including producing, directing and editing.
Synopsis
Swan Song immerses viewers inside one of the world’s leading ballet companies as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain on the eve of her retirement. The verité-driven feature documentary closely follows Kain and a group of young dancers drawn from the National Ballet of Canada’s ranks, weaving Swan Lake’s dramatic creation process with intimate scenes from the subjects’ personal lives as they push toward one of the most significant opening nights in their company’s history.
Kain and her company granted full access, and the filmmakers followed the film’s subjects for nearly two years through creative conflicts, devastating injuries and personal setbacks, and a pointed push for equity and change from within its ranks.
Swan Song’s intimate, character-driven approach invites viewers to consider the impacts of the culture of ballet on its artists—the film’s subjects, in various ways, challenge ideals of race, class and body type as they navigate a tradition that has historically valued compliance and perfection. At the same time, the film captures the sincere love of the form that drives Kain and the dancers as they face down challenges and make deep personal sacrifices in an effort to create something meaningful and lasting.
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