One of the first creative dance films for Scottish Ballet – which I directed, shot and edited – Maze follows two dancers as they discover each other inside Govanhill Baths, a labyrinthine derelict Glaswegian swimming pool. Maze is an award-winning short dance film with choreography by Sophie Laplane and with a soundtrack by electro musician John Xela.
Maze premiered at Glasgow Short Film Festival and has been selected for a number of festivals including Encounters Film Festival, Underwire Festival, Leeds International Film Festival and San Francisco Dance Film Festival where it won Best Screendance Short Under 10 Minutes.
Maze has also been featured on BBC iPlayer, BBC Loop, Future shorts, Nowness and was selected by Vimeo as a Staff Pick.
Some of my exploratory test shots in Govanhill Baths.
Maze was first performed on stage as part of Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Season 2015. Sitting in the audience, I was immediately inspired by Laplane’s witty choreography; I wanted to take the striking geometric quality of the movement and place it within an equally unique urban setting.
With choreographer Sophie Laplane and dancers Madeline Squire and Javier Andreu on location. Photographs by Christina Riley.
The film was shot in a disused Edwardian swimming pool, Govanhill Baths in Glasgow, over two winter days. Scottish Ballet dancers, Madeline Squire and Javier Andreu, performed bravely and beautifully in freezing conditions, even when snow began to come through the roof!
Shooting in the largest pool at Govanhill Baths. Photographs by Christina Riley.
The finished film premiered at Glasgow Short Film Festival and has since been selected for a number of festivals in the UK and abroad. Maze has also been featured on BBC iPlayer and BBC Loop, as part of Nowness.com's 'Just Dance' series and as a Vimeo Staff Pick.
Maze was produced under the Scottish Ballet: Creative scheme.
