Mr. Gaga

An exuberant feast for the senses, <strong>MR. GAGA</strong> illuminates the creative process of an audacious Israeli choreographer widely hailed as an icon of modern dance.

Ohad Naharin has spent the past 25 years pushing the boundaries of physical and political expression through the language of body movement. After serving in the Israeli Army as an entertainer, his career spanned several prestigious dance ensembles, culminating in his tenure as artistic director of the Tel Aviv-based Batsheva Dance Company. Jettisoning the company's old-style repertory, Naharin introduced non-traditional elements and edgier themes, while pioneering a singular choreographic style known as Gaga. The artistic vision and kinetic beauty that are the hallmarks of this cultural maverick come alive through intimate rehearsal footage, extensive archival materials and eye-popping performances. Interviews with dancers and key collaborators—admiring and blunt—confirm Naharin's reputation as both prickly taskmaster and charismatic genius.

The product of an eight-year collaboration between filmmaker Tomer Heymann and his complex subject, honors for <strong>MR. GAGA</strong> include the documentary Audience Award prize at the SXSW Film Festival.