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PRESS
The Washington Post... "Film Explores Elizabeth Streb's Daredevilry, American Ballet Theater"
"Through her conventional treatment, Gund achieves something extraordinary. She takes us inside Streb's crazy, brilliant mind to see how she thinks and why she makes her alarming choices, to understand why she pushes the fragile human bodies in her employ so far beyond what any normal person would do (and why her dancers obey without quarrel)." (Published 5/8/15)
The New York Times .... "A Pursuit That Leaps, Crashes and Swings"
"'Born to Fly' traces Elizabeth Streb's avant-garde journey. It’s all joy and motion in this dazzled and breathless documentary." (Published 9/9/14)
The Los Angeles Times .... "'Born to Fly' captures Elizabeth Streb in action"
"Dance purists might dismiss Streb's work as circus gymnastics, but a bracing aesthetic is inseparable from the corporal shocks, as is an insistence on challenging accepted constraints. Through Gund's film, a wider audience stands to be not just amazed but provoked." (Published 9/25/14)
The New Yorker .... "Flying Tigers"
"These days, Streb's work is starting to be more visual, less crash-bang. At the end of the movie, she says that when a piece of hers succeeds it's because she has been able to show "physical archetypes" that spectators recognize-an experience that makes them "quake inside." I think that's true, but mystic joys are only part of her secret. Streb would not be Streb if her programs didn't include a heavy dose of punk: theatre of cruelty, or at least of impoliteness." (September 15, 2014 Issue)
"I admit that I am largely ignorant of dance and its history and I had no idea who Elizabeth Streb is or anything about her aesthetic. Needless to say, this incredibly engaging documentary changed all of that. Gund is able to paint a portrait of Streb by allowing her tell her own story but also to allowing others in her orbit to fill in the gaps." (Published 21/9/14)
The Village Voice ... "Last Action Hero"
"What does it say about the state of Hollywood action filmmaking that this year's most dashing derring-do transpires in a doc about a choreographer?" (Published 9/10/14)
Paper Magazine ... Interview with Catherine Gund
"I challenged myself to use my particular time-based, artistic medium not merely to document Elizabeth's time-based work but to expand it. In fact, I wanted to collide our two artistic forms to invent a third kind of breathless, sweaty, heart-pounding experience." (Published 9/10/14)
Variety .... "Film Review: ‘Born to Fly’"
"Fascinating… Intriguing...Likely to generate fascination and uneasiness in equal measure… breathtaking...teasingly suggests that some displays of avant-garde virtuosity could be enjoyed equally by venturesome aesthetes, dance enthusiasts and devotees of World Wrestling Entertainment. " (Published 4/3/14)
Indiewire .... "Director Catherine Gund on Capturing Motion in 'Born to Fly'"
"The magic of art injects you with a fierce focus, makes you remember that you make your own decisions. So fly! Many people tell me that they've always wanted to fly. Who knew that was such a common motivator, such a natural response to going through our sometimes ugly, often extraordinarily beautiful earthbound motions?" (Published 9/11/14)
WNYC: All Things Considered .... "Don't Call It Dance. It's 'Pop-Action'"
"In this interview, Streb recalls one episode a moment from childhood when her father forgot her, leaving her holding a roof for several minutes. Streb says that experience helped her shape her philosophy as a dancer and choreographer." (Published 9/11/14)
The Hollywood Reporter .... "Born to Fly: SXSW Review"
"Catherine Gund's Born to Fly works very well as a portrait of a maverick artistic sensibility...Whether one calls it art, sport, or mere entertainment, some of it makes for jaw-dropping viewing." (Published 3/24/14)
Austin Chronicle .... "SXSW Film Review: 'Born to Fly'"
“Stunning...adrenaline-pumping...Born to Fly captures fully both the danger in the work and the exhilaration the dancers get from it.” (Published 3/11/14)
Slackerwood Review .... "SXSW Review: Born to Fly"
"Exhilarating and transcendant. It will leave you wanting to see more." (Published 3/17/14)
Front Row Reviews .... "Sheffield Doc Fest Diary: Day Five"
"An intriguing gem with surprising mass appeal from documentarian Catherine Gund." (Published 6/24/14)
The Credits .... "SXSW 2014: Catherine Gund's Born to Fly Tracks Elizabeth Streb's Genius"
"Exhilarating and terrifying...a fantastic documentary...director Catherine Gund has done a masterful job of introducing viewers to Streb, her dancers and her movement philosophy." (Published 3/11/14)
The Horn .... "SXSW Film Review: Born to Fly"
"Watching Streb's dancers soar and fall, audiences are invited to muse on Streb's assertion that where there is no danger, there is no growth. This film is a must-see for anyone interested in art, dance, movement, or the limits of the human experience." (Published 3/14/14)
Documentary.org.... "SXSW Documentaries: Invisible, Underwater, on Trapezes and Trees"
“Cirque de Soleil meets the Olympics in SoHo. Magnificently captured sequences make for heart-stopping suspense and sometimes horror as dancers perform acts not only astonishing but also violent.” (Published 3/14/14)
Badass Digest .... "SXSW Review: BORN TO FLY, WETLANDS Reveal Fun Things To Do With Our Bodies"
"It's extreme and it's crazy and absolutely beautiful to watch. Born to Fly is a must...really exemplary documentary filmmaking." (Published 3/10/14)
Moveablefest .... "SXSW '14 Review: 'Born to Fly' Rises To Great Heights"
"Gund is able to capture the magic of what Streb does, which is no small feat, as well as the provocation of her work...To say 'Born to Fly' is a piece of work is actually a compliment and has no doubt done its subject proud." (Published 3/8/14)
IndieWire .... "SXSW Women Directors: Meet Catherine Gund" (Published 3/8/14)
IMDB ... "SXSW 2014 Films I'm Excited About"
"The dance is truly something to behold onscreen as company members throw themselves at walls, dodge rotating I-beams and generally make dance look more suicidal (or at least masochistic) than I'm used to seeing." (Published 3/5/14)
Indywood/Hollywouldn't .... "2014 SXSW Filmmaker Profile: Catherine Gund (Director - 'Born to Fly')"
"When we were shooting their performance on the Millennium Bridge – 7 dancers bungee-jumping over the Thames having never rehearsed it, it really brought tears to my eyes. I just felt like they’re these tiny people, and they’re all alone..." (Published 3/1/14)
Realscreen.com...."SXSW reveals doc competition titles" (Published 02/03/14)
The New York Times.... "South by Southwest Festival Adds a TV Section"
"The documentary competition includes Catherine Gund’s “Born to Fly,” about dancers in pursuit of human flight. That film is also part of the festival’s new SXsports program, as is Amy C. Elliott’s documentary “Wicker Kittens,” about a jigsaw puzzle contest." (Published 01/30/14)
The Hollywood Reporter.... "SXSW Unveils 2014 Lineup..." (Published 01/30/14)
Dance Therapy Blog... "Dance Matters… As Do Films About Dance"
On her blog, dance/movement therapist Lora Wilson Mau, MA, BC-DMT provides a provocative introduction to BORN TO FLY (previously HOW TO BECOME AN EXTREME ACTION HERO) and explanation of the significance of promoting the art of dance through film. (Published 07/27/12)
Movie Times .... "Interview with Catherine Gund: How To Become an Extreme Action Hero"
Catherine Weiler interviews Director/Producer Catherine Gund about BORN TO FLY (previously HOW TO BECOME AN EXTREME ACTION HERO) , the origins of the film, and the BORN TO FLY Kickstarter campaign. (Published 07/25/12)