iwishyoustayed 2023

A screendance film exploring the way in which we tell stories through movement; iwishyoustayed reflects on the complexities of power relations in intimacy. Instead of seeking excuses for violence, the film and its makers wish to understand and display a male perspective (and more extensively that on more diverse gender dynamics) in abusive relationships. The choreography was constructed based on pedestrian movements and is deliberately made to not feel like a dance. It experiments with the limits of telling subtle, intricate feelings, by borrowing from filmmaker concepts of blocking and performance for “the camera.”