Somewhere in the Body

Somewhere in the Body is a dance film installation centred around Lucia Joyce – a talented visual artist, musician, dancer, and daughter of celebrated Irish writer James Joyce.

The production examines how Lucia, and her dance career, may have influenced the creation of her father's iconic and dark tale of Finnegans Wake in which she can be seen to appear in various guises. The theme of light runs through this work as it did throughout Lucia’s life; her name, taken from Saint Lucia the patron saint of the blind, is described as meaning “light giver.” A cryptic narration developed from Finnegans Wake guides us through the book chapters and hints toward the darker stories held within this father-daughter relationship.

Combining exquisite performances by Katie Vickers and Colin Dunne, original light sculptures by German artist Patrick Kramer, and a unique soundscape based on the Joyce family biography and Finnegans Wake, Somewhere in the Body reveals both the real and psychic spaces inhabited by Lucia and her father.

For more information about the making of the work, please visit here: https://www.ainestapleton.com/somewhere-in-the-body-gallery-text

Press:
“Performed on screen by Katie Vickers and Colin Dunne, their movements often seem haunted by memories... set to beautifully filmed depictions of light, whether flickering candles or crepuscular landscapes” The Irish Times
“The abstractions of modern dance are linked to the abstractions of modernist literature and mental illness... conveying this woman from history in a language she herself might recognise” Irish Independent

Running time: 32 minutes.
Narration from Finnegans Wake—no subtitles available.
Two-screen format. Available as DCP or digital file, with options for single-channel or two-channel screening.

Screenings include:
Premiere: Solo installation at Project Arts Centre, Ireland, from May 18th - June 4th, 2022.
Dublin Dance Festival, Ireland, from May 18th - May 29th, 2o22.
Solo installation Château Hornegg au Lac in Zurich, Switzerland, from June 19th - July 2nd, 2023. Supported by Culture Ireland.
Group Installation as part of Light Moves Festival at Limerick City Gallery, November 2023 - January 2024.
Screening at UK Parobrod as part of Belgrade Irish Festival, Serbia, March 2024.
Screening at Bloomsday Film Festival, Dublin, June 2024.

Film credits:
Writer & Director - Áine Stapleton
Performers - Colin Dunne, Katie Vickers
Choreography - Scored by Áine Stapleton. Adapted and formed in collaboration with the performers
Director of Photography - José Antonio Muñoz
Editor - Mirella Nüesch
Light Sculptor - Pat Kramer
Producer and Locations Manager - Áine Stapleton
Soundscore & Music Recording - Remi S. Langseth
Costume Design - Ivan Moreno Bonica
Sound Direction & Design (Excerpts from Finnegans Wake) - Áine Stapleton
Camera Assistant & Focus Puller - Goh Takahashi
Voiceover Artists - Colin Dunne, Finn Fordham, Katie Vickers
Final Sound Mixing & Mastering Stephen Shannon

Funded by The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Fondation Jan Michalski, and Dublin City Council. Co-produced with Project Arts Centre and Dance Ireland. Supported by The Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union.