Horace Bénédict

Coproduction: Bonlieu Scène Nationale d’Annecy, TanzWerkstatt Berlin, Centre Chorégraphique National de Montpellier / Languedoc-Roussillon

with the support of Artservice International

17 observations of artists in alpine pastures

In June 2000, on Boris Charmatz’s suggestion, some fifteen artists get together in the mountains of the Haute-Savoie. They meet on a mountain slope, at the altitude of 1,700 meters for the time of their encounter and research related to their practice. After ten days of work, the artists will present the public with a tour in the course of which the audience will see, in a variety of places, choreographic, vocal, and artistic propositions. Dimitri Chamblas and Aldo Lee have made a film focused on this event. This medium-length film is shown in a regular screening, as an installation, or on the occasion of improvised soirées in cinemas.

“I wanted to join the group Ouvrée, not directly as a dancer participating in the event, but rather in order to observe how everyone works, what sort of rapport is being creating between the artists, their works, and the infinitely vast and chaotic expanse which is the mountain. I wanted to gain access to the bare bones of their work, to see what would be left once they were confronted with the environment. Through this work, I would perhaps manage to evaluate the importance of place vis-à-vis the work, to understand how far that which surrounds the work comes to profoundly affect it and influence it.”

Dimitri Chamblas

Horace-Benedict was an eighteenth-century man of science. He participated in the creation of various observatories in the Alps. He is also the inventor of the hair hygrometer.

Assistant director: Manuela Dalle

Camera: Bérengère Dominguez, Aldo Lee

Sound engineer: Pierre Aviat

Editor: Jocelyne Ruiz

Sound mixing: Miguel Manrique

Conformation and calibration: Isabelle Malte

Production: Angèle Le Grand

Production assistant: Manuela Dalle

Thanks to: Salvador Garcia, Edith Klein, Stéphane Maisonneuve and all the team of Bonlieu /Scène Nationale / Annecy, Claire Verlet, Bénédicte Pesle, Thérèse Barbanel, Jean-Marc Boitière, The Coutet family, Sir Todesthini and the district of Leschaux, Sir Dagand, Sir Veyrat, And Ateliers Varants

Horace-Benedict has been filmed at Col du Semnoz on the occasion of Ouvrée (artistes en alpage), a proposition by Boris Charmatz/association edna in June 2000.