I Dance for You

I DANCE FOR YOU

In Development | Drama

Logline
In 1985 London, a vibrant nine-year-old girl sneaks into her mother’s cabaret club; when her mother’s performance collapses under the weight of devastating news, the child is forced to become the adult her mother is no longer capable of being.

 

Synopsis
Dora is a lively nine-year-old who longs for the attention of her mother, Marilyn, a struggling cabaret performer and immigrant desperately trying to reinvent herself. One evening, after being left alone, Dora wanders through the dark streets of London to her mother’s workplace, the Kerosene Heater Club.

 

From the shadows of the wings, Dora watches her mother insist on performing a darkly humorous set despite having just received news of a family tragedy. Caught between her mother’s unsettling behaviour and the audience’s booming laughter, Dora experiences a silent, premature transformation. As the spectacle reaches its absurd peak, Dora realises the roles have reversed: she must now become the emotional pillar for the woman who was supposed to protect her.

 

DIRECTOR’S VISION

“I Dance for You is a story about the invisible sacrifices children make, and how love can innocently transform into a weight capable of redefining who we are.” — Nabila Dolfini, Writer/Director

 

THE PROJECT

I Dance for You is a 14-minute fiction drama serving as a proof-of-concept for a feature film. Set against the gritty, vibrant backdrop of the 1980s London Alternative Comedy scene, the film explores the theme of emotional parentification through a “mastery of form”.

 

Visually, the film utilizes an aesthetic of reflections and complex layering to capture the perspective of a child deciphering an indecipherable adult world. The production features a historic performance by Chris Lynam, an icon of the original 80s cabaret circuit.

 

KEY TEAM

  • Director/Writer: Nabila Dolfini

     

  • Production companies: Kenesis Senses / Nap of the Earth Films

     

  • Director of Photography: Ariel Artur

     

  • Editor: Roberta Bononi (BAFTA Member, BFE Governor)

     

STATUS

I Dance for You is currently in development. For inquiries regarding co-production or investment, please contact Nap of the Earth Films.