PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Thierry Thieu Niang and Marie Balducchi, protagonist and producer of the film A Young Girl in Her Nineties, from the 16th Transilvania International Film Festival.
A Young Girl in Her Nineties (Une jeune fille de 90 ans), a documentary directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Yann Coridian was screened during the 16th Transilvania International Film Festival. Producer Maria Balducchi and the protagonist of the movie, dance choreographer Thierry Thieu Niang, represented the movie here in Romania, where we met them for this interview. The film originated from the latter’s workshop. Thierry works with all people, and in particular, A Young in Her Nineties follows his process of work with old people with Alzheimer’s. It is through them that we witness the power of dance and the surprising effects that dance has on them. Marie and Thierry tell us about the challenges of making the movie, which even involved convincing that this story was worth telling (the film successfully premiered on Arté shortly before this interview was recorded). We also discuss many other things, such as the aforementioned power of dance, whether there was any concern about crossing a line, and a few comments about the coming together of dance and cinema.
A Young Girl in Her Nineties: in the geriatric care section of the Charles Foix d’Ivry hospital, Thierry Thieû Niang, a famous choreographer, is running a dance workshop for Alzheimer’s patients. Through dance, memories are recounted: regrets, bitterness, moments of joy and solitude. Blanche Moreau is 92 years old. During the filming, she has fallen in love with the choreographer: her illness has simply become lovesickness.