Feelings are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will present the Australian premiere of Feelings are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer; a documentary tribute to the artistic legacy of choreographer, dancer and filmmaker, Yvonne Rainer, showing from 12 December in a special program celebrating the artistic manifesto.

It was 1966 when Yvonne Rainer's performance -Trio A' altered modern dance and cemented her place in choreographic history. Since the mid-1960's Rainer has been a force of artistic innovation. Her practice, which spans the fields of dance, choreography and cinema, continues to have a direct impact on contemporary artists. Now aged in her 80's, Rainer continues to work with dancers, encourage experimentation and invigorate new audiences.

Premiering at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival, Feelings are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer is an engaging study of one of the most significant artists of our time. Inspired by the work of Merce Cunningham and John Cage, Rainer came of age during a period of rapid socio-political change, the energy of which she poured into her revolutionary approach to modern dance and later her cinematic works. Jack Walsh's documentary pays tribute to Rainer's artistic legacy through interviews with her and her contemporaries including Carolee Schneeman and B. Ruby Rich. The film also explores the impact that coming out as a lesbian (in her late 50's) has had on Rainer's life and her artistic practice.

Drawing on archival footage of performances, excerpts from Rainer's films and modern re-interpretations of some of her most iconic pieces, Feelings are Facts celebrates an artist whose vital approach to movement changed the face of dance forever.