“Glance from the Edge”- Screening of dance film showing the beauty of Bulgaria

Dear friends,

The Bulgarian Cultural Institute London is pleased to invite you to a screening of a new dance film “Glance from the Edge” by Kosta Karakashyan and Stephanie Handjiiska. Welcome to the Sofia Gallery of BCI London on April 7, 2022, from 19:00.

 

The film “Glance from the Edge” is a poetic tale of six people scattered across a palette of impressive landscapes. Through the language of contemporary dance, they struggle to find their place, belonging and community against the background of the breathtaking beauty of Bulgaria. “Glance from the Edge” innovatively presents the beauty of 12 natural and historical locations in Bulgaria through the prism of contemporary dance, including the Hills of Plovdiv, the Museum of Religions in Stara Zagora, the rock arch near the village of Tyulenovo and Prohodna Cave.

 

The impressive film, shot at 12 cultural and historical locations around the country, brings together directors and choreographers Kosta Karakashyan and Stephanie Handjiiska with an international team from New York, Scotland and Tunisia.

 

The main roles are played by prominent contemporary Bulgarian dancers Vasil Zelyamov, Gergana Ilieva, Tsveta Doycheva, Petar Grudov, along with Kosta and Stephanie, and from New York for the cameraman Kevin Chiu and composer Jude Icarus. Additionally, the post-production includes the Scottish DJ with Bulgarian roots Andro Mathewson and the Tunisian composer Saifeddine Helal.

 

The two directors hope that the film will inspire the Bulgarian audience to perceive Bulgaria in a new way, and will promote it among the international audience. “If people go out after the movie and they want to dance, then we’ve accomplished our goal,” say creators Stephanie and Kosta.

 

For Stefani Handjiiska:

 

Stephanie D. Handjiiska is a choreographer and dance artist of Bulgarian origin, based in London.

 

Her work explores femininity, artistic work and colour through the prism of dance and film art.

Stephanie has worked with names such as BBC 2, Michael Buble, Major Lazer, Holly Blakey, MØ, The Place London, Andrew Winghart, London Contemporary Dance School, Nu Boyana Film Studios, ImPulsTanz, Sherihan, Arabesque Ballet, Derida Dance Company, Aerowaves Spring Forward and many more.

Stephanie is a Fellow of the Leverhulme Trust London, the Efforts to the Stars Fellowship and ONE DANCE WEEK.

In 2020, Stephanie graduated with honours from the London School of Contemporary Dance after staging and performing several choreographies on the stage of The Place Theatre in London.

 

For Kosta Karakashyan:

 

Kosta Karakashyan is a director, choreographer and dance artist who graduated from Dance at Columbia University in New York and Human Rights at the Global Human Rights Campus in Venice. His projects explore the development of empathy in our society through dance, cinema and teaching. As a dancer and choreographer, Kosta has worked in the field of sports and contemporary dance in Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Norway, Vietnam, Japan and the United States. He won the Lumiere Prize in Canada for his film WAITING FOR COLOUR, a documentary dance film about violence against the LGBTQ community in Chechnya. His choreography has been presented by the Columbia Ballet Collaborative (New York) and the Arabesque Ballet (Sofia) and his work has been covered by The Guardian, Elle, them, GLAAD and Free Europe.

Invites: HERE