FILM: 'CARGO' BY KELLY HARGRAVES
Performance artist Kelly Hargraves discusses her background in dance and her involvement in film-making. Hargrave's film 'Cargo'—a short dance film that 'explores one man's pit stop on the road of life'— will be screened at the V Lounge. RSVP to see this short at the next Santa Monica showcase on Thursday, March 4th!

How did you first get started as such a varied artist?
I started dancing while already in college and attended a school that was very interested in cross-discipline work, so we were encouraged to take art classes, music classes and use digital media.
From where do you draw inspiration for your work?
I really honor and cherish the work of Bertolt Brecht. I really like character studies, something not common in American modern dance.
Do you engage in, or draw inspiration from, any other forms of art?
I am a music fiend. I think I dance because I can’t sing or play an instrument, I was a DJ for a long time even before I danced.
From start to finish, explain your film-making process.
I take years to work a piece out in my head, so when I actually get to shooting, it’s pretty quick. Because I make works for stage, they are set as one long sequence so we can do it over and over and shoot from many angles. Of course, film also allows us to stop and add anything we discover throughout the shooting process.
When you are not filming, how do you like to spend your time?
I take dance classes, yoga and train as a boxer.
All time favorite film?
Hmm ... I am most influenced by things like Koyanasquatsi and the Gods Must Be Crazy.
What sort of film techniques/styles do you most like working with?
I like old cameras that are heavier and can be used as hand-held, but still have a steadiness to them. Plus, I like a grittier image than what all the new digital HD cameras provide. I guess it would be called “cinema verite.”
Are there any specific reoccurring themes or subjects that you explore and deal with most in your work?
Yeah, I am really into solos. And the psychological journey a person goes through alone. I have been reading a lot of Buddhist writing and it seems to really align with how I make the characters I create.
Any previous films/collaborations that you are most proud of?
Actually, I am pretty proud of my “day job” and all the films and filmmakers our company (First Run Features) represents. We release social issue documentaries by people who are really helping decipher our culture and “fighting the good fight.”
Any current rising stars within the genre that you would recommend we look out for?
Most of the work I admire in dance film is European, based in places like Holland, Spain and Belgium ...



Congratulations to Ben & Josh Shelton! 





