DANCE ME TO MY SONG

Rolf de Heer is one of Australia's (possibly the world's) most consistently daring and ground-breaking directors. But he defers credit for DANCE ME TO MY SONG to its leading lady and co-author, Heather Rose, without whose unforgettable presence this film would simply not exist. She plays Julia, an adult woman who (like Rose) is a prisoner of a contorted body and neurological ailments that leave her helpless without assistance. Or maybe . . . not so helpless. Julia's latest 'caregiver,' Madeleine, gave in to compassion fatigue a long time ago. Selfish, conniving, and vindictive, she tends and cleans Julia with undisguised disdain, and feeding-time turns into a daily battle between the two. Neglected for too long one day, Julia drives her motorized wheelchair into the street and pulls in the first stranger she finds. He's Eddie, a rather shady bloke, but one who shows uncommon warmth and respect toward Julia. When Madeleine meets this male interloper, the stage is set of the most twisted triangle of jealousy, desire, and private nurses to come up from Down Under since PROOF (16th CIFF, 1992). Harrowing, fearless, and ultimately optimistic, DANCE ME TO MY SONG demonstrates who is truly crippled and who is vastly empowered.