True Prince is an intimate portrait of a young man already fulfilling his destiny: Vladimir Malakhov - a quintessential ballet prince for our times.
Purchase in the Store Synopsis
Named "best male dancer in the world" three years in succession by the prestigious Japanese "Dance" magazine, hailed as the "New Nureyev" by European critics, and nicknamed the "Phenom" in New York, Malakhov transfixes audiences with his combination of technical brilliance and lyrical eloquence. Jennifer Dunning, of the New York Times says that "In person, Mr. Malakhov is an eager, almost frighteningly disciplined young dancer with an endearing exuberance and sense of comedy..."This dazzling program captures the magnetic presence of this consummate dancer in the rarified atmosphere that surrounds an artist devoted to his art. "True Prince" chronicles the textures of a dancer's daily life - the rehearsals, the backstage rituals, the fans, and the strenuous performance demands of an international star. Through it all, Malakhov remains a modern man with an old fashioned virtue - complete dedication to his art.
Combining rehearsals with performance, and mixing modern and classic film techniques creates a chic, hip, and engaging mix of the whimsical and the sublime. Shot in Vienna, Toronto, and Vancouver Canada, True Prince includes segments from Manon, Giselle, and a complete solo performance of the modern ballet Voyage, which was choreographed for Malakhov, based on his experience of being a rootless jet-setter.
Running Time: 48 min.
Reviews
"Producers Tony Papa and Leigh Badgley scored a major coup in the world of arts production when their Vancouver based company was granted the exclusive rights to film ballet dancer Vladimir Malakhov, the man hailed by European critics as the 'new Nureyev."-Playback - Canada's Broadcast & Production Journal May, 1996
"A new vantage point is gained by positioning the camera directly underneath the dancer, enhancing appreciation of how the body mobilizes for the exertion of the dance."
-International Documentary Magazine January-February 1998
Awards
- Awarded the Gold Jury Award at the 31st Annual New York Expo of Short Film and Video in New York, N.Y. in 1997.
- Awarded Best Arts Documentary at the Hot Docs Festival 1997 in Toronto, Ontario.
- Awarded a finalist certificate at the 196 New York Festivals.
- Nominated at the 12th Gemini Awards in 1998. Only Western Canadian film to be nominated for Best Direction in a Variety, Comedy, or Performing Arts Program or Series.
- Nominated at the 1997 Golden Sheaf Awards in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
- Screened at the 15th Festival International Du Film Sur l'Art (International Festival of Films on Art) in Montreal, Quebec in March 1997.
- Screened at the 12th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in March 1997
Credits
Producers Tony Papa, Leigh BadgleyDirector/Editor Tony Papa
Writer Sharon Gibbon
Director of Photography David Frazee