SUN

Directed by Valentina Khodnevich

Created by indie filmmaker Valentina Khodnevich and choreographer Hannah Joseph, SUN beautifully captures the human experience through dance. Set against the interplay of natural and artificial light, this mesmerising short film presents a protagonist reliving the same day, with choreography that turns everyday tasks into expressive movements.

Each scene's unique setting enriches the narrative, making SUN a poetic and captivating celebration of the cyclical nature of life's rhythms.

SUN emotively captures the cyclical journey of human experience through a striking contrast between artificial and natural light coupled with expressive dance. Can you share with us the influences that shaped your vision for this project?

Ideas for my projects often come from my own experiences, and this one is no different. I noticed that working on my laptop at night was affecting my well-being. This led me to research how electric light has impacted the quality of human life. From this research, I developed the concept for SUN, where I aim to highlight the contrast between electric and natural light through movements and set design.

The film is shot with a mix of out-of-focus and sharp imagery, with natural light yielding clear, warm visuals and artificial light producing blurred effects. How did these choices in lighting and focus correlate with the narrative, particularly in emotionally charged scenes?

As we built the concept around the contrast between two types of light, it also influenced our storytelling. Our creative director, Hung-Jui Tsao, and I wanted to have two opposing spaces: nature and an industrial setting. Additionally, we considered how this contrast would reflect in the cinematography. For the nature scenes, we used more handheld shots to maintain a natural, lively feeling, while the industrial scenes featured more static, fixed shots. Due to the nature of our vintage optics, we ended up with a slight blur effect in a few wide shots. This was unplanned but ultimately created an interesting contrast in the film.

The sound design plays a crucial role in illustrating the protagonist’s cyclical journey. How did the soundscapes contribute to the narrative and can you give us an insight into how you selected the music for this film?

A talented musician and friend of mine, Shota Gogisvanidze, shared his upcoming album with me. One of the songs particularly resonated with me because it had the industrial rhythm I was seeking for SUN. I was also fascinated by how he created this soundtrack. While at home in Georgia, Shota came across a herd of cows in the mountains and recorded the sound of their bells on his phone. He later included this recording in his music. Isn't that an amazing and beautiful story?

How did yourself and choreographer Hannah Joseph collaborate to ensure the choreography and cinematography complemented each other seamlessly, translating everyday actions into a visual narrative?

I first met Hannah at the Royal Opera House, where she presented her choreographed piece for Black History Month. I was deeply impressed by her performance and unique choreography. Her work was dark, modern, and minimalistic, showcasing a high level of maturity. Later, I invited Hannah to join our project and create a unique choreography that incorporated patterns and a narrative. Remarkably, within just three short rehearsals, Hannah and our brilliant dancer Spike crafted and staged an entire dance routine, inspired by their daily routines. We wanted the movement to tell the story as music does, so it is divided into two phases and changes as we transition from one location to another.

“We wanted the movement to tell the story as music does, so it is divided into two phases and changes as we transition from one location to another.”

How has directing SUN influenced your approach to filmmaking, and do you have any plans to explore similar themes in any future projects?

Shooting with film has definitely boosted my confidence, and I'm excited to take on more projects using 16mm or 35mm in the future. Collaborating with a creative director for the first time was also a fantastic experience. Working with Hung-Jui to develop our concept really elevated the film to a new level.
In the near future, I plan to shoot two more passion/art projects. However, at the moment my plan is to broaden my portfolio and include fashion, music videos, and commercials projects. I’m eager to work more with production companies, pitch to brands, and collaborate with clients to bring fresh, dynamic projects to life.