Cinéma Casino (2013)

• 85%
• 2013
• Documentary
• Bárbara Wagner
• Benjamin de Burca

CINEMA CASINO is a video installation that looks at the aesthetics of traditional and pop dance forms experienced by young generations living on La Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean. Concentrating on the expression of bodies in movement, the piece frames cultural manifestations historically linked to anti-colonial resistance alongside contemporary trends aligned with a consumer-based industry embraced by emerging economies today. The registered dance sessions involve individuals and groups that perform in a staged event at "Le Casino", a cinema and theatre hall built in the 30's that also served for meetings of the worker's union of the city's port. In the installation, seemingly opposed expressions are paired on a synchronised two-channel projection. While Maloya and Sega represent cultural heritage as mainstay product open to exploitation, a novel industry of taste epitomised by genres such as Dance-hall, Hip-hop, Zouk, Ragga-love and Coupé-décalé promises success and visibility for a new generation of Reunionnese.