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
  • U.S. Premiere – Lincoln Center 2024
  • Toronto Film Critics Association Rogers Prize – Best Canadian Documentary 2024
  • Canadian Screen Award – Best Sound, Documentary
  • Canadian Screen Award – Best Score, Documentary (Katie Austra Stelmanis)
  • DGC Allan King Award – Best Direction, Documentary (Chelsea McMullan)
  • DGC Grand Jury Prize – Best Canadian Documentary, Calgary International Film Festival 2023
  • 2023 Indiescreen Awards Nomination – Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award (Sean O’Neill)
  • Select Festivals: CPH:DOX 2024, Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024, Vancouver International Film Festival 2023, Calgary International Film Festival 2023, Fin Atlantic Film Festival 2023, Cinéfest Sudbury 2023