by Afra Nariman

The Road Dance (2022)

Director: Richie Adams

Stars: Hermione Corfield, Morven Christie, Ali Fumiko Whitney, Mark Gatiss

REVIEW:

I conducted the post-screening Q&A with director Richie Adams and actress, Ali Fumiko Whitney @ NBFF ’22

Watching this, it’s clear that the film’s titular family is portrayed by three actresses (Hermione Corfield, Ali Fumiko Whitney, and Morven Christie), who really seem to understand one another as actors, but also as people. Their approach to playing off of one another’s emotions makes this evident when watching the film. It was interesting to learn that this was a COVID-era shot film, so on set, there was a very tight-knit group of actors and actresses who, as Ali mentioned to me, did end up feeling like family for the period of time that they were shooting. 

This brings me to the next element of the film that stands out: the unbelievably beautiful location of the Western Isles off the coast of Scotland, where I learned they shot on location for just over 5 weeks at the historically persevered village that the film takes place in. The cinematography captures the beauty of the surroundings with great conviction; and essentially works to juxtapose the locational beauty with the dark, sad subject matter of the film and the terrible tragedy which befalls the protagonist, Kirsty, within the confines of this overwhelmingly natural setting: the open landscapes, overwhelming mountains, endless fields and the sea which isolates them.

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