EXPLORE is the debut of Dutch director and choreographer Moniek van der Kallen (1983). She started her carreer as a jazz ballet and street dance teacher at the age of 16. During her Film and Television studies at Utrecht University, she went on to choreograph pieces for two student dance companies.
After EXPLORE she directed and choreographed its sequel: EXPOSE, which was supported by the Dutch Film Fund.
As Theatre, Film and Television students these gentlemen started their production company Dyzlo Film in Utrecht, the Netherlands, which has been blooming ever since.
Next to producing, they are directors as well. Currently their film Caged ("Uitgesproken") is touring the world, being a big hit in LBGT and short film festivals.
Dancers Yael Cibulski and Luca Cacitti are students at Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy. They both danced in Ruis, a performance by dance company Conny Janssen Danst.
Yael is currently working as a freelance dance performer in her homeland Israel.
As the timing of the choreography was largely decided on before we started shooting, Danjel's finesse was needed to fit the pieces together. His use of hitches and his arranging of the topshots and slowmotion shots set the tone of EXPLORE. The little improvisation pieces were such a joy to edit, that for Expose we incorporated much more room for improvisation on set and in the editing room.
Erwan has, with his ideas for Explore and EXPOSE not only changed the photography, but also helped us to fine tune the stories we wanted to tell. Where in EXPLORE he made all the "specials shots" even more the we imagined. So for Expose we wanted to utilize his special skills as steadycam operator more extensively.
Moniek van der Kallen
DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
Dylan & Lazlo Tonk
PRODUCERS
Yael Cibulski DANCER
Luca Cacitti DANCER
Danjel van den Hoogen
EDITOR
Erwan van Buuren
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
In both EXPLORE and Expose, lighting was a key element of the story. And thanks to Nicholas, we were able to tell the stories like we imagined, and better! Both times we gave ourselves quite the challenge, due to the sizes of the sets and the wishes for the lighting, but Nicholas and his crew made it work :) .
Nicholas Burrough GAFFER
For EXPLORE Ronnie added the small highlighting sounds to emphasize moments where Yael and Luca connect. But his skills were under used. For Expose, his foley places the viewer right next to the dancer.
Ronnie is the owner of one of the largest foley studio's in Europe.
Ronnie van
der Veer
SOUND DESIGNER
Dancers Yael Cibulski and Luca Cacitti are students at Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy. They both danced in Ruis, a performance by dance company Conny Janssen Danst.
After dancing with Noord Nederlandse Dans, Luca is currently working as a freelance dance performer in Amsterdam.
When I was a kid, there was no collaboration;
it's you with a camera bossing your friends around.
But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating
the talents of the people you surround yourself with
and knowing you could never have made
any of these films by yourself.
- Steven Spielberg
THE TEAM
Additional dancers
Ruben Albelda
Armando Disanto
Hélène van der Dries
Laura Molenaar
Fay Muller
Lamine Ndiaye
Adrian Ruch
Jeffrey Theijs
With support of
Municipalitity of Utrecht
Make up and hair
Mirjam Venema
Ki Chul Groenevelt
Colourist
Remi Lindenhovius
Square
Yoram van Hees
Pete Wu
Elanur Çolak
Timor Faber
Best boy
Heleen Klingers
Focus puller
Ariel Castillo
Production assistant
Willemieke Bongers
Set photographer
Lisa de Bruin
Assistant director
Daphne Kerstens