I'm arab, white, homosexual and vegan, whatever I do is political,” says Larbi Cherkaoui, a world-renowned choreographer practicing all styles of dance. Over a period of several months, he gave us full access to the most intimate aspects of an artist at work. Much more than a simple portrait, our film sheds light on his approach, understanding his origins and deepening his commitment.
We filmed scenes out of the ordinary: a change of country, a creator's first meeting with his new team, the first steps and rehearsals for a new creation in Geneva, Antwerp and Japan. Being a mixture of cultures and diversity, this Flemish Belgian on his mother's side and Moroccan on his father's, is a virtuoso artist. He stages operas, choreographs ballets, musicals and musicvideos for artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Madonna, and collaborates with contemporary artists such as Marina Abramovic and Anthony Gormley.
Our story goes far beyond the work involved in creating choreography. We follow a man who constantly questions himself: What is his driving force? How did he build himself? What events in his childhood led him to dance? How do we explain his frenzy, his sense of not belonging and his ability to turn weakness into strength?
With full access to his archives, we followed Larbi on his farewell to the Antwerp stage, the creation of Ukiyo-e in Geneva and Evangelion Beyond in Japan, as well as a few key moments in his career: his work in Paris on the rock opera Starmania, Sutra in China and recently Boléro.
No traditional interviews, but a voice-over recalling the many texts written by Larbi: “When my father and mother had something to celebrate, they played music and moved with it. Those were the only happy moments in our family. It was only when we danced that we were happy. It marked me...I almost died several times... Dancing saved me. It allowed me to digest my past, it was my only way of finding health. Everything else was destroying me. It also enabled me to find my voice, which was blocked by too many pent-up emotions... Not everything is black and white. My identity is like that: there's Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, agnosticism, wonderful contacts with Hinduism and even an animist perception of things. When I create, the whole environment brings me its energy: it can come from people, but also from trees, stones... The whole world is a source of inspiration”.
“Don't put me in a box” is a universal film appealing to all audiences, the story of an astonishing, multi-faceted, visionary man at the crossroads of several cultures.
