I came across Pina Bausch by chance on Instagram sometime last year. A random art page had posted a clip of Bausch’s 1975 work ‘The Rite of Spring.’ In the video, a group of women soar and plummet on persistent beats, quivering and shuddering, alternating between abstractions and realism. Evocative and poignant, the performance irked my curiosity, so I spent some time exploring Bausch’s practice and style. Undoubtedly, she was one of the most important contemporary dance choreographers of her time. 

Therefore, coming across Gia Singh Arora’s recent docu-short In No Sence, which showcases an intimate journey of an individual’s memory of abuse, feels like coming full circle. Arora mentions Bausch’s work inspired her and how the latter has recognized the impact of trauma and memory on our bodies while working on this film. 

An Intimate Journey 

How do you transform a personal narrative about abuse into a film, particularly a performance piece? In No Sence comes as a response. The 15-minute film follows the journey of Lilya Sabatier—a trauma-informed holistic guide, teacher, and facilitator—subjective experience as she recalls incidents of childhood abuse. We see Bausch’s electrifying yet soulful visual style reflected in this film that imperturbably ventures into the realm of experimental filmmaking. 

Arora has employed a distinctive fusion of choreography and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the protagonist’s haunting memories, thus inviting reflections on conceptions of body, agency, healing, and recovery. The film oscillates between Sabatier’s recollection of the traumatic episode and her responses, as recorded while developing the piece. We see the film’s making and behind-the-scenes, where Sabatier discusses movements with her co-performer (Tanuj Nair) and the crew. 

She even gives suggestions; “You just want me to feel like I am an animal stuck in a cage,” Sabatier tells him. The next moment, we see the event play in front of us through movements. It is like watching a narrative unfold in front of us. Sabatier’s poem ‘Innocence,’ complemented by movement patterns—choreographed by Somya Kautia—is particularly an engrossing sequence of this film. It is like the creators understand that some emotions cannot be expressed through words; thus, the unique form devised by Arora for this film works in addressing the event and its larger relevance. 

On Memory and Agency 

At one point, Sabatier talks about meeting with a chiropractor who was quick to ask if she had ever been abused. The film thus reflects how the body remembers a specific memory as well as healing and the trials and tribulations that come with the process. “For me, it became important not only to reveal but also to realize for myself how painful memories constantly find ways to surface back through the body. They don’t simply leave; there is no easy way to ‘get over’

something like sexual abuse… We often assume that time naturally resolves issues and allows us to move forward. Yet, we overlook that our bodies retain memories that may persist beyond,” writes Arora while reflecting on the film. 

The process of making something like this can also be daunting. Not only does it require one to delve into emotionally challenging spaces but also be able to push oneself further to answer more questions, verbalize one’s memories, and more. “My reason for doing this documentary was to take something painful and life-altering that was done to me at an age where I had no agency or consciousness and reclaim it by making it into something of my choice,” writes Sabatier, hoping In No Sence may become a “catalyst for necessary open-hearted discussions that challenge our perceptions and allow us all to heal some of the trauma we each carry knowingly or unknowingly.” Most importantly, In No Sence is an essential reminder of all the possibilities film as a storytelling medium has to offer.

Article Courtesy of Anjani Chadha

Feature image taken from ‘In no sence’ by Gia Singh Arora