A Way to B

When he sees members of the audience crying while he’s performing his dance, Xavi is a bit disappointed. If they’re crying because they’re moved by his dancing as an art form, that’s fine. But if it’s out of pity because he’s in a wheelchair, they can “fuck off.” A similar attitude can be detected in Jos de Putter and Clara van Gool’s portrait of the Catalan dance collective Liant la Troca, whose members include people with a physical disability. One by one, they spotlight some of these intriguing personalities.

One of the dancers is Desi, who won’t let her speech impediment stop her from following a German language course. And despite his blindness, Joan has built his own rooftop terrace without any assistance. While they don’t shy away from the pain, these portraits never get sentimental. Instead they compel the viewer to look beyond the surface of the disability.

The dance scenes have a similar effect, with sensual choreographies clearly revealing the pleasure the dancers get from all that their bodies can do. It’s an ode to diversity.

Nominated for IDFA Award for Best Dutch Film