The Last Dance

Synopsis

Greg is an elderly father battling his smoking addiction. He takes up dancing lessons in order to dance with his daughter at her wedding.

Director's Statement

Greg Hamsen, a widowed father and chain-smoker, has found himself at a crossroads of choosing to better himself; not just for his daughter but for his future as well. He is shaken with a health scare during an important period of his daughter's life and battles with himself over his habits to get healthy once again.

I chose to direct this film because it spoke to me about what family can mean to someone. The deep connection a father can have for his daughter is special; a loving father will be by his child’s side through thick and thin to support them.

I was inspired by the works of Sofia Coppola and Lance Acord and their combined creative views in Lost in Translation. I found it heavily influenced my creativity and the choices I made throughout directing The Last Dance. The re-discovering of one’s purpose in life is something that we all end up needing to find at some stage.

Working with the cast and crew of The Last Dance was terrific. We all worked together to get the best results we could in a short timeframe with a minimal budget (approx. $200). I could not have asked for a more dedicated and friendly team to work with. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we were lucky enough to acquire fantastic venues and equipment; thanks to people found through word-of-mouth and our film school, respectively.

Some of the biggest challenges making this film included lighting scenes and our shoot schedules. Due to most of our crew and cast having full and part-time work commitments, it was very limiting as to when we could shoot. Quite often, we would end up with windows of 20min to an hour for our shoots.

In the end, the film turned out a little different than the original script due to budget limitations, time restrictions. We needed to streamline, alter and even remove scenes to make it all work. Whilst we were deliberating on these tough decisions, we still needed to make sure we were delivering our core message and achieving our desired emotional impact.

While watching this film, I wanted the viewer to experience a sense of sympathy and empathy for Greg. It is intended to be a bit of a rollercoaster ride where the audience is meant to be on a journey with the main character emotionally. I want the audience to feel like they are living alongside Greg through his trials and tribulations; experiencing his emotions until the end.

The experience working on this film will help me with future projects because it has broken the ice for me to be able to get onto a set and get straight into the action. Working with my cast directly, spending time with the crew relaying my vision and leaving it with them to capture it all to make a piece for people to enjoy. This film will always be special because it is my first short film with a complete crew and cast that I directed, and it was an absolute pleasure doing so.

Nathanael Ruback

Producer's Statement

The Last Dance tells the story of Greg Hamsen, an elderly widowed father dealing with the effects of his chain smoking habit. His daughter Alice is due to be married soon, so Greg takes up dancing lessons so he can dance with his daughter at her wedding. The audience follows Greg as he faces struggles relating to his ill health, all while persisting with dancing lessons in order to support his daughter on her big day.

I wanted to be a part of making this film because the story touches on deeply universal themes of the human experience. Family, health, love, and loss are all part of what it means to be human, and seeing these aspects of life through the medium of film can be an incredibly comforting experience for a viewer. It can serve as a reminder that they are not alone through any struggles they may go through, and that they will always have people around who will support and love them through thick and thin.

I lost my own mother to cancer when I was 10 years old, so I know how tough illness (or presumed illness) can be in the family dynamic. The Last Dance provides a refreshing spin on typically morose “illness in the family” stories, by contrasting the darker moments of this film with a much-needed lightness. By the end of the film, Greg fulfils his goal that he was struggling to achieve throughout the duration of the story, and he also receives the wonderful news that he is going to be a grandfather. The audience knows that Greg’s life is improving immensely, ending the film on a positive note.

Everyone can relate to doing things for their family that may compromise their personal comfort. One of Greg’s character traits that I believe will resonate with audiences would be his persistence. Greg’s perseverance and determination to dance with his daughter will touch a wide range of people, and may inspire viewers to do something kind for their loved ones.

In this digital age where many people are depleted of true human connection, The Last Dance reminds us that the time with those we love is precious, and that we must cherish every moment.

Madison Payne

Crew Members