“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” – Rousseau
About
How do invisible lines have such monumental impact? Based on the personal experiences of Colombian émigré Laura Anzola, Blue Borders explores how whale communication and migration studies can create a path to understanding the complexity of immigration, the concept of borders, and our relationship to the world that we inhabit. Combining cutting-edge animation techniques and projection technology, Blue Borders invites the audience into a sensory experience never before imagined - a visual environment projected onto a dome and suspended over an audience floating weightlessly on the surface water.
After discoveries made in the workshops of this piece, Ghost River Theatre is ready to move forward into the next phase of development of Blue Borders. Check out Laura’s website for more information.
Laura Anzola. Photo Credit: Krista Bell
about Laura Anzola
I have always been fascinated with images: how they work, how they are captured and composed, and how people react to them. This fascination led me to work with visual arts.
I am an artist based in Calgary working with animation, digital arts and design. I conduct my work with an attention to detail and focus on the process of image making and visual composition. I explore many different animation and projection techniques, ranging from traditional animation styles to live interactive video. Throughout my practice I had maintained an interest in how technology and arts can work together. This curiosity and enthusiasm has led me to do many projects, that explore the influence of technology and media on our daily lives, our bodies and recently I am questioning their impact on physical and geographical borders.
I aspire to create unique audience experiences that inflect and alter how we perceive the world, while bringing to light contemporary issues that affect others and myself around the globe.
Production HISTORY
October/November 2018: Workshop at West Village Theatre, Calgary
January 2020: Workshop at West Village Theatre, Calgary
July 2020: Workshop at West Village Theatre, Calgary
April 2021: Workshop at the West Village Theatre, Calgary
CREDITS
Original idea and concept: Laura Anzola
Direction: Laura Anzola
Script: Laura Anzola and Bibiana Rojas
Dramaturgy: Eric Rose
Producer: Laura Anzola with production support by Ghost River Theatre and technical support by Axis-Z Media Arts
Animation Direction: Laura Anzola
Collaborator and Staging Direction: Eric Rose
Performer: Montserrat Videla
Storyboards: Laura Anzola
Digital lead animator: Sasha Stanojevic
Experimental animation direction: Bibiana Rojas
Experimental Animators: Cecilia Traslaviña González, Diego Felipe Cortés, Tatiana Vaca Quintero, Blanca Stella Castellar Pacheco, Julian Arias Garzón
Generative Animator: Matthew Waddell
Sound Design: Carolina Lucio
Playback programming: Matthew Waddell
Composer: Eblis Álvarez
Projection Technology: Matthew Waddell
Technical director: Mark Eugster
Previous technical direction: Marc Lavallee
Thanks To
Canada Council of the Arts, Alberta Foundation of the Arts, Calgary Arts Development