ARENA
is a film (10--15min., b&w and muted color, HD/Super 16mm) by choreographer and equestrian Paula Josa-Jones and filmmaker Jodi Kaplan that explores the human/horse connection. The film is shot both on location and using interior arenas. ARENA creates an evolution - the arc of a relationship intertwining horse and human. Abstract, fragmentary images of horses bodies are inter-cut with those of human dancers. We see the long swing of a tail, a swirl of hair, the flash of a hoof, a foot, an eye. At times, we do not know if it is human or horse. As the film progresses, there are quicker, more rhythmic sequences; images linger and unfold in intimate episodes, and the choreography becomes more complex and extended. By the end of the film, human dancer and horse move together, reflecting and mirroring each other.

photos: Jeff Anderson