Dance film - GOLDFISH by Rain Kencana

The dancer Ichi Go reveals her ambivalent attitude towards tradition in the modern world as she breaks out through a traditional Japanese garment inside an underground passageway in dance.

Golden fish.
A poem by Shuntaro Tanikawa.
Large fish eat medium fish with their large mouth.
Medium fish eat small fish.
Small fish eat tiny fish.
Life shines
with sacrificing other lives.
Happiness blooms
with nourishing unhappiness.
Deep ocean of joy never exists
without a single drop of tear.

ARTIST FILMMAKER Interview: Rain Kencana

IntervieW Transcript: Rain KENCANA

To begin with, I'm interested in how this whole idea to make "Goldfish" came about and how did you come to collaborate with dancer and choreographer Ichi Go. Did the idea to make the film that explores the ambivalent relationship towards tradition in the modern world. How you approached this idea?

Rain Kencana : So I met Ichi Go at the rehearsals of my partners dance theatre piece Cap Dance. And actually I've fell love like immediately with her as a dancer. So I think she moves in a very special way. And I liked her. She has something wild and strong. And before I met her at the rehearsals, I've seen her at street performances with the very one red kimono. And I was just blown away. So, yes, it was the red kimono that inspired me a lot. And I noticed that she used this kimono in a different way. So on one hand, she was like showing off. And on the other hand, she seemed to hide herself. So I asked her and she told me about her ambivalent attitude. She taught me about her ambivalent attitude towards tradition and of her role being a woman living in Japan. So now she's based in Berlin. But we decided together that it could be our topic for the dance movie. So I ask her if she collaborates with me because I wanted to do this dance movie. So it was a decision that we made together somehow. But I approached her.

So did this red kimono that in many ways inspired a whole piece, affected the way that the choreography was developed?

Rain Kencana: If you talk about movement. Actually, I didn't. I wasn't part of the choreography. So it was a feeling or a topic that was. That was given. And she was a dancer. And she could express herself. Back in the days. I mean, she was very much into butoh. And it's in contemporary Japanese dance style that which goes very, very deep. And I don't know too much about it, but I know, um. It is about to reveal the soul. And the dancer should separate from his body and social identity. And to reach that goal. And then. So the idea actually circles around the dead body and the dancer can place a certain feeling. And so that it can evolve freely without the presence of herself. And so it's a special technique. And that's actually what she did. So. And I just gave like, um, choreographic orders, like position marks. And I, for example, had the idea with the high heel and that she should lose it at some point. But how and with which intensity was hers salon. So I wasn't part of her expression. So she was free to do whatever. And of course, I mean, it was inspired from her street performance. It's a mixture of this and the solo she did in this rehearsal. But we transformed it. So I just could tell you what topic we have and that she should, of course, interact with the kimono and and the high heel which I add.

And when in the process was the space chosen? And why did you choose the underground passage to tell the story about identity yet?

Rain Kencana: So before I do a dance movie, I go on scouting. So I was strolling around the city and to look for the perfect location. So I found this one and I knew it. It fits perfectly. So the very first idea was that I really liked the turquoise tiles because they complement very well with the red kimono. That's the one thing. But I also planned to somehow create this underwater world. I mean, if you listen to the sound as well. So there's underwater sounds. And somehow also the poem. It's you know, there are fishes. And she is a goldfish, you know. I mean, I don't want to give away too much, but it was intended. So that was one reason. And the other reason was that I liked the idea of the transit character of this underground passageway. And of course, it did make things difficult for us to shoot because we had more than one unpleasant interruption because of the passengers, of course, cross our crossing. We're crossing. So and but in the end, I like this location because it was anonymous. So somehow it also fits into this butoh idea. The location didn't tell anything about her personality because she doesn't live there. So there was no identity. So in the end, Ichi Go felt really uncomfortable there. And in the end, I think it was good because you could see actually that her movements came out of a feeling of discomfort. And that was good for the movie.

Why was she uncomfortable in that space?

Rain Kencana: Outside It was quite warm, but in the underground passageway, it was really, really cold. It was like minus five degrees or something. And it was in the district of Berlin where the people are not very friendly towards foreigners, I would say. I mean, it's. It's a known district. And so they didn't respect us as a performing team. So they they just cross the frame and disturbed us without any respect. And of course, she tried to shut down and just be in her dance. But I think she succeeded. At some point. But of course, I have seen it all. And it was really unpleasant. But she could feel. I think this strange emotions towards us.

You mentioned when you were talking about choosing this space. The interest in underwater. Is this something you're interested in, in your other films as well, or was it specifically for this film?

Rain Kencana: That was specifically for this film. Something you cannot explain. I mean, there was this tradition, modernity and the colours of the kimono, the space. And in the end, everything sums up to one thing, and that's found. You know what I mean?

Rain Kencana: So not everything is planned from the very beginning, but you see one thing and the other and you connect and then you have an idea. Also visual idea and you just try things out. And then it worked out. And then there was this poem coming. And I was like, yeah, it's perfect. I mean.

And when did the poem come in the process? And I know that you're interested in that. You're interested in working with poetry in your filmmaking process in general. So maybe tell me first. Why? Where does that interest come from?

Rain Kencana: The interest for lyrics and poems. I cannot tell you, I mean, I am. I would love to read books and I love poems. So at some point, I think they could make film richer, deeper, more understandable. So sometimes I'm really into a voice that guides me somewhere. And I mean, it's not that I think that dance is not enough, but sometimes it adds something. You don't need it like any time, but it's something I don't plan as well. But this thing is that I wanted to portray Ichi and that's her favourite poem. She chose it in a way. It matches perfectly because it also includes the concept of ying and yang.

What inspires you and how did you get into working with movement on screen?

Rain Kencana: Yeah. So, I mean, I started dance myself as I was a child. So I think I always wanted to be a dancer. But somehow it didn't work out or I didn't push enough. Or maybe I just wasn't not brave enough to go all the way. So and now I have the feeling I really love dance and watching it. So if I work with dancers, I feel like I'm part of dance or I can contribute something to what I really, really love. So.

What would you say makes a good dance film for what makes a dance bad?

Rain Kencana: If every single aspect sums up to the every-ness, then you have a good dance film. So in the end, that's like if you have a good story combined with good dancers, combined with good camera works, good editing, good music, then you also have something good that's about the ingredients as you choose and how they react with each other. So it's actually it's a matter of taste. How you mix the ingredient. It's like cooking. And if something is not fitting to the other, it's not a delicious meal.

And you started as an editor. You studied editing and you mentioned briefly when we had a short chat. You mentioned that something in editing is for you connected with a movement because it has lots to do with rhythm. And you drew a parallel bit there between this studying of editing and interest in working in dance films.

Rain Kencana: So, I mean, I started editing. So it comes out of me like naturally and I always edit my films on my own, for Goldfish, I mean, for example, the beginning of Goldfish. Of course, we had like several beautiful take the rise up of the kimono monster. And in the beginning I wanted to include like several beautiful takes because I don't want to waste my footage. And I tried and tried. And then at some point I just noticed I destroyed the magic. If I added, I had to decide for one take and that's it. So I threw everything else away. Well, we were a very small team for goldfish. We just had a camera and we shot with available light and we agreed from the very beginning that we don't want a locked camera. So I wanted the camera to breathe and Jala (DOP) shot, circling around Ichi and be close to her. And and it was very important that she could react on her movement and that she could move freely. So I didn't want the camera to be locked. And so we chose the handheld camera. And of course, like I could as we were a very small team, I could direct the little bit from the outside. But it was, of course, a very close interaction between camera and dancer.

And who do you collaborate with when it comes to music and when in the process of production, music usually comes in and maybe in specific. Well, and in specific talk, I'm talking about Goldfish. I'm always curious whether a dancer develops choreography with music already there. Or do they work in silence or some other music that is then replaced with something else? And how does all that work?

Rain Kencana: There are different things that inspire me. Before I did the dance movie, and first it was the kimono I saw. And on the other hand, as I mentioned before, I met Ichi at this rehearsal and the music, the special song was made for that production. So the musician and that inspired me as. I mean, that was my base, actually, and the musician. And that's why then the singer Nina. And there were so kind and agreed to give me the music for free so we could use it. And for us as independent filmmakers, it's very important. I mean, the same importance does I collaborate with the D.O.P's to collaborate with composers or musicians because we don't have any financial support.

Were you ever thinking of using the ambient sound scene, the final edit? Because the space, as you were saying earlier, played such an important role actually in how. Ichi was feeling throughout her performance and then now that you're mentioning the sounds of people passing, shouting maybe something or hearing the transport above you. Was there ever a thought to use maybe those sounds in the final edit?

Rain Kencana: I did, but it was not the original sound, so to say, because we shot on an Alexa. So this camera has no sound. So I didn't have a sound recorder with me. But in the end, I mean I don't know if you heard it, but I had trains arriving. But it was like from the library. So I tried to actually, um, as I don't have a sound designer, I'd do it anything on my own. I mean, the idea of this underwater world was before, so I had these underwater noises. But still I have also the trains. And I think also some passengers like steps. Not sure, but that comes really in the edit. So I just hear everything. The song, the poem. I mean, the voice, the noises. And then if I feel that something is missing, I start experimenting. And that's something that really makes fun. And as I as I'm working, you know, like parallel. So it's not the only thing I do. So and this is I mean, my dance movies are really my passion. So and I'm really into it. But I don't have the time to to be there, like completely focused. But that's a good thing again, because I edit and then I just leave it and I sleep over it. And then one week later, I watch it. And if anything is perfect, then I'm.

Yeah, I wanted to ask you, what's your methodology of working when you edit whether you prefer to edit if you had that luxury that you don't have to do other things on the side of it or you would prefer to dedicate two weeks and just set it non-stop? Or is it better to have, you know, intense few days than a bit of a break and come back to it with fresh eyes?

Rain Kencana: It varies from project to project. I mean, there you know, it's also a matter of footage. Some footage is more easy to handle. And there's other footage where I think it's a really, really difficult. So I cannot say it's the same with my paintings. Some some paintings, things I just do like overnight and others, they stay here for years. I don't take that long with films. But as I say, I cannot. I don't have any rules to follow. I mean, it's it's a it's a feeling thing. But I like mistakes. I like. How do you say in English, Zufälle? Destiny. Coincidences. I think it's a major part of filming, so I mean, of course you want to be in control of a lot of things. But I love coincidence because they just happen and you have to deal with it. So you have to improvise and take them in. I exclude them and most of the times I include them because they're fun.

"...not everything is planned from the very beginning, but you see one thing and the other and you connect, and then you have an idea. "

Explore More Dance Films & Videos