Format
Feature Film & TV Series
Runtime
Feature: 100 minutes
Series: 4 x 44 minutes
Year
2023
Director
Chelsea McMullan
Produced by
Sean O’Neill
Written By
Sean O’Neill, Chelsea McMullan
Directors of Photography
Tess Girard, Shady Hanna
Editors
Brendan Mills, John Gallagher, Sabrina Budiman
Story Editors
Leah Schulli, Victoria Abolarinde
Original Score by
Katie Austra Stelmanis
Executive Producers
Sean O’Neill, Chelsea McMullan, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle, Neve Campbell
Producer
Christina Carvalho
Associate Producer
Lucy Cameron
Featuring
Karen Kain, Robert Binet, Jurgita Dronina, Shaelynn Estrada, Arielle Miralles, Siphesihle November, Tene Ward
Partners
CBC Docs, Dogwoof, Mercury Films, Quiet Ghost, Blue Ice Docs, Fall for Dance North, The National Ballet of Canada
Synopsis
Swan Song immerses viewers inside one of the world’s leading ballet companies as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain on the eve of her retirement. The verité-driven feature documentary closely follows Kain and a group of young dancers drawn from the National Ballet of Canada’s ranks, weaving Swan Lake’s dramatic creation process with intimate scenes from the subjects’ personal lives as they push toward one of the most significant opening nights in their company’s history.
Festivals and Honours
- World Premiere – Toronto International Film Festival 2023
- International Premiere – BFI London Film Festival 2023
- DGC Grand Jury Prize for Best Canadian Documentary, Calgary International Film Festival 2023
- 2023 Indiescreen Awards Nomination – Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award (Sean O’Neill)
- Vancouver International Film Festival 2023
- Calgary International Film Festival 2023
- Fin Atlantic Film Festival 2023
- Cinéfest Sudbury 2023
