DANCE OR DIE

Film about Charlotta Öfverholm

Premiere March 16 2019

BOLD FESTIVAL AUSTRALIA

Dansens Hus Stockholm April 27 2019

Scandinavia House New York City October 5 2019

Ulm Dance Festival Germany June 12 2022

 A film about an extraordinary artist – Charlotta Öfverholm.

 

 

 

For four years, filmmaker Anders J Larsson and his camera followed Charlotta Öfverholm. The result is an inspiring film about a woman and her raison d’être: dance.

She is a rare force of nature, a woman who refuses to impose limits on herself or her art.

Charlotta Öfverholm’s entire adult life, as well as a large part of her childhood and early years, has been filled with dance and everything that comes in its train. She has worked as performer and choreographer with with some of the world’s most renowned artists, enthralling both them and her audience. She sees herself as continuously striving to achieve perfection; others see her as wild and beautiful, bizarre and intoxicating. A workaholic imbued with heart and unconquerable forcefulness, whose commanding scenic presence is welcome in the US, France, the Czech- Republic, and Germany. And even in her home country Sweden, where she is sometimes perceived as something of a rare bird – as far from that country’s vaulted virtues of moderation and prudence as it is possible to get – she enjoys a devoted following.

She has run her own dance company, choreographed countless dance scenes and been an inspired teacher. Her body is her closest friend. She has cared for it to the best of her ability but always challenged it to the limit. Although not immune to the wear and tear that full-time dancers unrelentingly subject themselves to – at the age of 50 her hip joint is now made of titanium – her will of steel remains as unbending as ever. Many of her peers gave up dancing a long time ago. But how can you stop doing something that is central to your very way of being? 

PHOTOS
PARTICIPANTS & FILM CREW

Participants:
Charlotta Öfverholm
Christina Öfverholm
Lindy Larsson
Dwight Rhoden
Joseph Tmim
Michael Blake
Zvi Gotheiner
Max Stone
Igal Perry
Jordi Cortes
Mia Crusoe
Desmond Richardson
Madeline Ritter

Screenplay, Direction, Photography, Film editing:
Anders J Larsson

Sound and assistance: Mia Kaasalainen

Music:
Alvina Lanselle
Lauri Antilla
Adel Andersson
Magnus Fagerström
Moby
Frank Sinatra
Artlist

Credits:
Tobias Hallgren
Lloyd Newson
Jan-Erik Wikström
Dragos Mihalcea
Rafi Sady
James Friedman
Lauri Antila
Wendy Houstoun
Amancio Gonzalez
Marie Lindqvist
Hana Varadzinova
Eliska Vavrikova
Talia Paz
Martin Harriague
Christopher Roman
Jone San
Martin Brit Rodemund
Ty Boomershine
Frederic Tavernini
DR Frederic Laude
DR Marcus Preis
Ewa Heidvall
Cecilia Öfverholm
Göteborgsoperan
Kungliga Operan
Dansens Hus
Uppsala stadsteater
Tanztheater Münster
Dansmuseet
Rival

Acusticum
Moderna Dansteatern
Divadlo Archa
Divadlo Ponec
Divadlo NOD Roxy
Steps On Broadway
Peridance
Balettakademien
Générale De Sante Clinique
Bikramyoga City Aukamm Klinik
Kulturhuset stadsteatern

Archival footage:
Bengt Wanselius
Håkan Larsson
Peder Carlsson
Eytan Sivak
Stadttheater Giessen
Ray Tadio
Peter Svenzon
Julien Desplantez
Archa Theater
Göteborgsoperan
Fabian Kriese

Special thanks: Bo Bergström, Lena Erlingso, Richard Vincent, Ilya Meyer, Nancy Westman