Rise (En corps)

Directed by Cédric Klapisch (France and Belgium, 2022, 117 min.). French with English subtitles.

With an ideal relationship and promising career as a ballet dancer, Elise thinks she has the perfect life. But everything crumbles when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her and suffers an injury that may prevent her from dancing again. The path to physical and emotional recovery leads Elise away from Paris to picturesque Brittany, where new friends, a new love, and the freedom of contemporary dance help her reconnect with her father—and, most importantly, herself. In her acting debut, professional ballerina Marion Barbeau of the Paris Opera delivers a remarkable performance worthy of comparison to Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes. This soaring tale of resilience and self-discovery was nominated for nine César Awards, including for Best Film.

Watch the trailer.

The screening is preceded by a discussion with Howard Merlin, Director of Costumes at the Boston Ballet Costume Shop. Howard and his team provided costumes for one of the dance scenes in the film.

More on Howard Merlin:
Director of Costumes Howard Merlin leads a diverse team of multi-talented artists to breathe life into the forward-thinking visions of Mikko Nissinen, David Walker, Robert Perdziola, William Forsythe, Jorma Elo, Jiri Kylian, Nanine Linning, Yuima Nakazato, while also reviving by twentieth-century masterworks and ballets that honor the rich traditions of the classical ballet canon.
 
Originally from Knoxville, TN, Howard first saw Boston Ballet in 1982, later joining the dance roster of the company in 1988. Under the artistic direction of Bruce Marks, he performed a vast repertoire of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by John Cranko, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones and Mark Morris to name a few. After retiring from the stage in 1997, Howard joined BB’s Costume Shop under the mentorship of Amy Persky and April McCoy.