Directed by Lukas Timulak and Peter Bilak, under the banner of their Make Move Think foundation, ‘The Sum of All Parts’ is an experimental dance film that takes a light-hearted look at geometric patterns through interlaced artistic movement. The ensemble short features five individually attired dancers; Celia Amade, Aurelie Cayla, Valentina Scaglia, Jiří Pokorný and Fernando Troya – who all utilize the contrasting patterns on their costume to produce a brief overlaid moiré pattern. In spite of the film’s quirky eccentricity, viewers will be entranced by the fleeting wizardry.
Throughout the 4-minute film, which is shot in a film/photographic studio by Taco Zwaanswijk, the performance is carefully teased and flourished in order to give maximum bounty to the intertwining transparency effect accumulated by the costume design (and post-production). The unaccustomed dance routine is inadvertently comical, but equally admired and respected (in an artistic and geometric sense).
Post-production play’s a pivotal role in the overall performance, as the desired effect is crafted by dissolve transitions in the edit. The off-center musical soundtrack (Hauschka) is uniformly salient, as expected in a dance performance, but the filmmakers’ specific melodic choice aids the overall tone and acts as the film’s integral heartbeat. Cinematography is well mastered to a high standard throughout. ‘The Sum of All Parts’ is unashamedly artsy, yet intriguing. The fair runtime is also certain to keep engagement. The entire dance troupe are well deserving of a cinematic curtain call. A worthy, albeit unconventional watch.
