Yoshiko Chuma: A Page Out of Order (2009)

When Yoshiko Chuma arrived in New York in 1976 from Japan, she was attracted to the postmodern dance innovators in Manhattan's downtown. By 1980 she presented her own vision of movement at the Venice biennale, adding visual artists, actors, filmmakers, sound design and musicians to her pieces. Filmed during Chuma's 2009 staging of "Not About Romanian Cinema: POONARC", a chapter from her ongoing performance work "A Page Out of Order", this documentation offers insights into the choreographer's distinctive search for an abstract universal performance language. Inspired by a silent Japanese film from 1926 entitled "A Page of Madness", Chuma sees a connection between silent cinema and modern performance art. Expressive movement, stunningly strange images, and jarring sound fragments are all trademarks of Chuma's captivating performance work.