Translucent Guises
‘TRANSLUCENT GUISES’ uses moving image to offer an alternative depiction of figure skating to those we see in mainstream media that often focus on the final product performance: feminine, effortless, graceful. Instead, ‘TRANSLUCENT GUISES’ uses training footage (for example from 00:38 minutes into the film) taken of Allie Bunyan who acted as a research subject for the film, to explore how self-expressive figure skating performances are constructed through taxing athleticism. As Allie Bunyan (2021) put it “to reach the top takes serious hard work, strength, flexibility, resilience and agility; things that tend to be overlooked and overshadowed by the beauty of the sport.”
The film contrasts this athleticism to styled, staged footage (for example, at 00:40 minutes into the film) taken to reflect the concept of the finished, ‘ice princess’, ultra feminine skater that we see in mainstream media. Skaters interviewed during research stated that figure skating was inaccurately represented because the extent of athleticism that goes into the performances is rarely shown. They said many people had told them that figure skating is “not a real sport” and they are “not real athletes”. For example, (Muramoto, 2020) and (Atienza, 2020) both mentioned having these experiences during research interviews with them. ‘TRANSLUCENT GUISES’ reveals this by showing that figure skating requires intense physical training to achieve the smooth and seemingly effortless final product that we most often see in media coverage of the sport. Figure skating blends the performing arts and athleticism – a blend that makes it unique from so many other sports.
Directed and produced by Kate Kidney Bishop @sashasadies
Edited by Brandon Konieczny @brandon_kzny
Filmed by Kate Kidney Bishop @sashasadies & Allie Bunyan @allie_ice
Starring Imogen Croft @imogen.croft & Allie Bunyan @allie_ice
Co-styled by Carmen Young @carmeneyoung
Makeup by David Gillers @jnx_mua
Hair by Daniel Moura @danmoura_hair
Nails by Anh Hoang @anhhoang_
Stills by Celia Croft @celiacroft
Interview KATE BISHOP
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