A Study on Effort - The Story of a Bold Dancer I have read opinions about this documentary, they have a common feature, that this film may not be understood by those who are not very immersed in the choreographic theme. He is more focused on the emotions of the main character - Bobby Jen Smith, and some introductory is missing. And it's important to keep in mind another documentary about Ohad Naharin, who invented the language of dance 'gaga'.
In fact, it all depends on the mood, because the film quite contains emotions, information, and style, and gives an opportunity to reflect.
The documentary Bobbi Jene by Danish director Elvira Lind creates a beautiful rich portrait of an individual from a creative environment, shows the story of a girl named Bobby Jen, who is endowed with exemplary inspiring courage.
Bobby Jen Smith is an American dancer from Iowa. She dropped out of Juilliard School to work for the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel.
Production of the film began in 2012. Then Bobby Jen Smith directed the choreographic play Arrowed, which she played with actor Oscar Isaac. Isaac's friend Elvira Lind was in the audience, and she was very interested in the girl. She sent Smith a letter offering cooperation. Elvira asked for consent to make a documentary about the dancer.
Already in the finished version of the film, the final credit tells us that the work really took a long time, Elvira thanks in it all her family, friends and husband for their support in working on the project. The result of five years of work was first shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017.
Bobby moves back to the U.S. because he wants to know how she's going to work apart from the big band. She wants to get to know herself better. With her, we as viewers see the difference in countries. In Israel, she's already used to the environment, and she's in her own neighborhood, and she's got a band and regular gigs. In the US, she is alone, but here she has the opportunity to meet with actors. Professionally in the US, Bobby Jen Smith has to start from scratch – she gives concerts, looks for venues and sponsorship for her own performances.
In Elvira Lind’s directing handwriting, one feels a love for the object she shoots. She likes both the process and what she wants to say. In her film, she played the role of not only a director, but also a cameraman. The angles are chosen such that the essence of the dance is fully conveyed. His passion, his grace, how the muscles and abilities of the body work, and how the dancer wields them. Elvira Lindh has a strong taste for detail. She always adds small touches to the frame that adorn it, but do not overload it. This feature – focusing on small details – can be seen in her social media account. The preference to pay attention to details and withstand the pastel color scheme is displayed in it. Probably, it affects its Scandinavian origin, their hygge.