Crazy Horse, a movie by Frederick Wiseman
Frederick Wiseman, the internationally famous American documentary maker, goes behind the scenes of the creation of Désirs, the current show at the Parisian cabaret the Crazy Horse, which was inaugurated in September 2009.
Wiseman’s camera goes to the heart of this Parisian institution to record the creation of the new show, the most avant-garde of all Parisian cabarets.
Day by day and week by week, he follows the story of this amazing creation through its main characters : the legendary dancers such as Zula Zazou, Nooka Karamel, Fiamma Rosa, Loa Vahina etc., the stage managers and costume designers, plus Philippe Decouflé, the choreographer, and Ali Mahdavi, the show’s artistic director.
The Crazy Horse as never seen before
Through the eyes of Frederick Wiseman, we discover the Crazy Horse as never seen before – we explore its artistic language, its vision of modern woman and her legendary codes, and quite simply experience a magnificent human adventure.
« It’s an incredible honour for the Crazy Horse to be portrayed by Frederick Wiseman. He was a discreet and perceptive witness of our creative work, the frustrations and doubts, but also the excitement and joy involved in it… reinventing Crazy was a real challenge and Wiseman has managed to capture these historic moments with tenderness and discernment… » explains Andrée Deissenberg, Managing Director of the Crazy Horse.
Interested in fantasies
« Crazy Horse » is Frederick Wiseman’s 39th film. He gives his opinion on this unusual adventure. « I wanted to do this film for several reasons, mostly abstract ones. I’m very interested in fantasies, which are numerous and varied at Crazy: the fantasies of the public who come to see the show, the dancers who agree to perform nearly nude, the dreams of the shareholders who want to make money, and those of the director who has to show what Desire means… All these questions interested me. »
After Venice Days on 31 August, “Crazy Horse” has been selected for Toronto, San Sebastian, New York, Lisbon, London and Tokyo and has been released in cinemas across France on 5 October 2011.
Frederick Wiseman, america, film and documentary maker
The American film and documentary maker Frederick Wiseman has mainly concentrated on portraying large North American institutions. His films have been selected and have won prizes at many festivals all over the world, including Cannes, Venice and Berlin.
His 39th film is his third foray behind the scenes of a French institution, following his films on the Comédie Française and the Paris Ballet de l’Opéra.