Metro Cinema Society: 40

Canada 2009, 5 min, Dir: Marlene Millar & Philip Szporer

A man at a pivotal point in his life: 40-something, still vital and strong yet taking stock, unmasking, and exposing his hopes, passions, vulnerabilities, and regrets. This is the subject of 40, a film that follows dancer Ken Roy on a journey of self-discovery.

Framed in abstraction and emphasized through extreme close-ups, his body appears, at times, as a fluid canvas of skin and muscle – a familiar yet awe-inspiring sight. Whether submerged in the shadows of an intimate studio space or bathed in a palette of brilliant blue, Roy’s playful spirit and sensuous physicality are accentuated by his highly visual environment. Adding to the effect, a series of whimsical portrait illustrations by artist Pol Turgeon mark the ever-shifting concept of private and public self. As Roy intuitively slips in and out of focus, eluding both viewer and performer of answers, all expectations dissolve.

Inspired by the dance theatre piece Quarantaine 4x4, which features a quartet of middle-aged male dancers, 40 captures the poetic unveiling of one such man at a time of great transformation.