In this autofictional short film, Miguel de Sousa draws a choreographic parallel between freedom and restraint through characters referencing Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera. The rope is omnipresent, illustrating seemingly antagonistic concepts while assisting, inspiring, lengthening, and limiting movement.
The creative process started with a small photo session between the artist and his sister, Beatriz Sousa (who later went to create all the costumes for the film), in which she juxtaposed basic shibari knots with intricate small macramé panels. The complex rope work embodies limitless possibilities and serves as the basis for the construction of the characters, their universes, as well as the choreography.
The rope motif continues by using string instruments for the entirety of the soundtrack. Extremely distorted electric guitars, strong basslines, a calming acoustic guitar, and a pictorial cello accompany the audience into a cyclical journey across six acts, and their cosmos, their colorscapes, and their evolution.
Filming started in Miguel’s hometown Salvador, Brazil and resumed in Paris, France, where he’s been living for more than ten years. The journey from being raised in a hyper-disciplinary household and still nourishing these roots while creating new ones is felt, and the film can also be interpreted as a love letter to growing up and being able to rebuild oneself.
NÓS in Portuguese means « we » or « knots ». Even though being free does not equal being alone, the ties that connect can also imprison.
directed by & choreography MIGUEL DE SOUSA
cinematography MILENA ABREU / GAËLLE ASTIER-PERRET
costume design BEATRIZ SOUSA
hair NATALIA CAVALCANTE / BEATRIZ SOUSA
make-up NATALIA CAVALCANTE / BENJAMIN AGOYER
original score PATRICK BIYIK / OCTAVIO ANGARITA
sound design & mixing KIM N’GUYEN
on set aerial coach ANAÏS TOMASI
aerial rig CIE AMAYA
lighting technician theater PABLO DE PAULA
artistic advisor ANTRIFO SANCHES
special thanks to ENNIO NOBILI / JOAKIM LEBRUN / REI LACOSTE / LUIZA RIBEIRO / ESPAÇO XISTO BAHIA / LA CABOTEUSE / PHILIPPE AUZET / HERVÉ GUINET / LE CINQ AU CENTQUATRE / RAUL MACIEL & LARA BULLENS / ZÉRO BENJAMIN / KYRAN RICCARDO CHIN-ASSING / MOM & DAD
filmed at TEATRO DO ESPAÇO XISTO BAHIA (BRAZIL) and LE CINQ AU CENTQUATRE (FRANCE)
poster art KEYON MONTÉ
Miguel de Sousa 