A ballet dancer finds her true expression through rediscovering her passion for movement in the mountains.
Ottawa filmmaker Mike McKay’s evocative Renaissance stood out among the festival’s many accomplished short films with its unique angle on a popular mountain sport. Beautifully shot, and told in intimate first-person voice-over, it profiles a burned-out ballet dancer who rekindles her love of movement and dance when she discovers a new passion – climbing. The film makes expressive use of split screen to draw parallels between, but also to contrast, dance and climbing, and eloquently suggests the healing potential, physical and spiritual, of both sports and the arts.
– Jim Sinclair, VIMFF 2023 Jury
Mike is an award winning Ottawa based cinematographer / filmmaker with a passion for storytelling in the outdoor and adventure world.
