Acclaimed choreographer and renowned dancer Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan; New York City Ballet) makes his directorial debut with an incredible modern-day retelling of Bizet’s classic opera Carmen. One of history’s most famous stories, Millepeid’s Carmen is retold through the lens of the Australian outback – an expansive stand-in for the Mexico border – and it channels the original themes of love, freedom and death.
“It’s about a woman who’s running for her life, from Mexico to the U.S.,” Millepeid explains. “And as she crosses the border, she encounters a border patrol and a Marine with PTSD. Everything goes wrong in that moment, and they end up fleeing together towards Los Angeles. It’s a complete re-imagining of Carmen… about a woman who can love and be loved, and who expresses her freedom through movement and song.”
Benjamin Millepeid, director
After screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, Carmen is now showing at the Adelaide Film Festival.
Alien Proof worked with the inimitable Loretta Cosgrove on construction, props and special effects.