Lavaur. A documentary on the essence of dance

On Wednesday, April 29 from 8:30 pm to 11 pm, the Ciné-Pastel will host the screening of the documentary film Germaine Acogny, the essence of dance, directed by Greta-Marie Becker. Released in France on July 16, 2025, this 1 hour 28 minute film offers a sensitive portrait of a major figure in the international dance scene. Born in Benin in 1944, Germaine Acogny is often referred to as the “mother of African contemporary dance”. For over fifty years, she has developed a unique body of work, influenced by traditional West African dances and open to contemporary languages. The film traces her exceptional journey, from her work with Maurice Béjart in the 1970s to her current role as a knowledge sharer. Through archival footage and sequences filmed today, the director sheds light on an artist whose choreographic research has deeply influenced global contemporary dance. The documentary shows how Germaine Acogny transforms cultural legacies into a universal vocabulary, based on body expression and movement. A central focus of the film remains her educational commitment. In Toubab Dialaw, near Dakar, she founded the École des Sables, now a reference point for training new generations of African dancers. The documentary emphasizes this living transmission, carried by an artist over 80 years old who is still driven by the desire to teach and create. Co-produced by Germany, France, and Senegal, Germaine Acogny, the essence of dance also features the director of photography Sophie Maintigneux, editor Katja Dringenberg, and composer Fabrice Bouillon-Laforest. Presented at the French Film Week in Germany and the Munich International Film Festival in 2025, the film has received critical acclaim for the strength of its imagery and the expressive power of moving bodies. An evening that will allow audiences to discover, or rediscover, an essential personality whose legacy extends far beyond the world of dance.