Flying Fish Over Mexico

(2004-2005, Spain/Mexico, 60min) visual theater-dance

Theater-dance

SYNOPSIS Flying Fish Over Mexico visual theater-dance exploring the origins of humans and the Mexican identity. The story follows two parallel plots. The love of Gondwana and Laurasia, the two continents in which the original megacontinent Pangea split up, and views of Mexican cultures. As a physical and emotional mirror of both: Butoh, Japanese avant-garde dance, shows inner meanings: the search of love inside humans and the search of a common identity in a nation soul.

CAST Endless Lovers: Leopoldo Rivera, María Sandoval I White Dancers: Denise Barber, Rolando Martínez, Nadia Zúñiga, Adrián Hernández, Rodrigo Leal, César Rodríguez, Francia Castañeda, Sergio Solís I Wise Children: Roberto Castelló Lima, Tamara Henaine I Original Souls: Rafael Furlong, Rosario Dávila
CREW Director/writer/producer: Pedro Valiente I Choreographer: Evelia Kochen I Producer: Guadalupe Lima I Assistant director: Leopoldo Rivera I Assistant choreographer: Adrián Ladrón I Stage coordinators: Óscar Pérez, Griselda Pérez I Stage assistant: Aaroon Buendía I Costume/Make up: Flying Fish Work I Technical director: Jesús Treviño I Technical coordinator: Sue Ellen Bernal I Camera operators: Juan Carlos Bonilla, I Víctor Manuel Vega, Liliana Cortés I Lighting: Miguel Ángel Tavera I Visual coordinator: Rodrigo del Campo I Video: Bruno Schauwecker I Sound coordinator/public relations: Luís García TECH INFO Running time: 60min I Year: 2004-2005 I Language: Spanish I Genre: Visual theater-dance I Country: Spain/Mexico I © 2004-2005 Flying Fish Work
*Flying Fish Over Mexico* is a production by Flying Fish Work with the support of the National Center for the Arts through the National Theater School and Salvador Novo Theater in Mexico City in 2005, and Tecnológico de Monterrey in 2004. I Behance

Trailer (3:46) by Bruno Schauwecker at Tecnológico de Monterrey

Trailer

VISUAL THEATER

“What connects Pangea, Mexico, and Asia? The early history of continents and their migrations tells us that the first settlers of the Americas arrived through the Bering Strait from Asia. But beyond history, we imagine a world where the ancient peoples of the Americas rediscover their Oriental essence. In this vision, time bends, and events unfold in a singular moment in the Universe’s history—an era before eagles and snakes (the symbols of the Mexican flag). A magical age when flying fish soared over Mexico, and the first Mexicans gazed into the future, dreaming of what was to come. Endless Lovers —Gondwana and Laurasia— are reborn through time and space as men and women who cannot stop loving. Wise Children, perhaps Indigo souls, illuminate the world with their blazing blue light, flowing endlessly through encounters and separations. White Dancers embody the cycle of birth, life, and death through Butoh, expressing the raw intimacy of existence. Original Souls, the elder narrators, give voice to pre-Hispanic visions of Mexico’s genesis and the origins of human life. Flying Fish Over Mexico, a journey through time, myth, and the eternal dance of creation.” —PV

REFERENCE I Writing in New York a PhD dissertation on director/artist Robert Wilson, Pedro Valiente volunteered for *The Hairy Ape* by the Wooster Group at Selwyn Theatre, New York I VIDEO © *Hamlet* I the Wooster Group

VISUAL THEATER

REFERENCE I “Butoh (舞踏, *Butō*) is a form of Japanese dance theater that arose in 1959 through founders Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno.“ [Butoh] I VIDEO © *Umusuna* I Sankai Juku

BUTOH DANCE

Premiere at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico State

VISUALS

CNA I TEC

Pedro Valiente shifted from working as director of International Relations at New York Film Academy to start teaching for the first time ever as PhD visiting lecturer at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico City. Besides covering courses on Filmmaking, Television, and Visual Narratives, Pedro directed *Flying Fish Over Mexico* at Culture Program (Área de Cultura), visual theater that premiered in November 2004 at the Auditorium of Mexico State campus.

TECNOLÓGICO DE MONTERREY

NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE ARTS

“Choreographer Evelia Kochen did an extraordinary work bringing dance to students in the National Theater School at CNA. Later, cast members created theater companies such as Nadia Zúñiga (El Ensamble, Teatro Playback Barcelona), Francia Castañeda (Teatro Entre2), and Adrián Hernández (Teatro Al Vacío). Sue Ellen Bernal became a state congresswoman. Luís Garcia, Bruno Schauwecker, and Víctor Vega are developing interesting careers in communications. Leopoldo Rivera became CEO, and health master. Flying Fish Over Mexico was the start of a path that took us to work together at Televisa, and Cancun Riviera Maya International Film Festival. They’re close friends and partners in life. Guadalupe Lima was an essential creative/producing force in all these projects in Mexico. Thank you all.” —PV I Behance