5 Questions with Varya Rootwood

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The mesmerizing and poignant dance film “TWINS “You must be related!” follows a pair of twin sisters aiming to reconcile a sacred bond. We asked director Varya Rootwood how the project began, melding the choreography with the setting, and a recent film she’s loved…

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in film/video making?

I was born and raised in Russia, but immigrated to the US alone when I was 19. My family still lives in Russia and I think this immigration story constitutes a large part of my identity. As for filmmaking, I got into pretty late – I worked odd jobs here and there, thought that I could perhaps become an antique dealer, and my first short didn't happen until I was 22. It took me a couple years more to really embrace that directing was what I wanted to do in life. However, right now I can't really see myself doing anything else with my life.

2) How did you connect initially with India and Ananda Gonzalez, and what was the genesis of this project?

I met Ananda in a contact improvisation class. I'm not a dancer, but the class was open level, so I was allowed to take it. At the time, Ananda and India were working on a full-length dance piece at Barnard – they choreographed and directed it, as well as performed in it. Watching that performance, I was in awe the whole hour. They're such witty, clever dancers, and their vision was mesmerizing. I decided then and there that we needed to collaborate. This project came out of that desire to create something together. We started talking about the themes that were important and relevant to Ananda and India, and something that kept coming up was their relationship with each other, as well as with other people as a pair of twins, so we decided to pursue this idea.

3) Where was this filmed, and can you talk a bit about your decision to film there - what was most important to you in terms of melding the choreography with the setting?

This was filmed in NYC, not far from Columbia University. I am a big fan of site-specific dances and I like when locations feel purposeful (I'm not sure that we really managed to achieve that, but it was definitely our goal). I think for me the location definitely needed to be public – a place, where twins can be observed by others and where they can feel that gaze upon themselves. But we also wanted the location to feel a little odd, unusual, so I think our location choice was a good combination of those two ideas.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

One of my favorite films that I watched recently is "The Burial of Kojo", directed by Blitz Bazawule. This film is full of metaphors, lyricism, poetry, it is magical and dreamy. Yet, it also explores some heavier social and political issues, such as economic colonialism in Ghana. I admire the way in which Bazawule decided to juxtapose the magical and the real.

5) What’s next for you?

Right now, I'm developing another short film and working on commercial projects with my production company.

5 QuestionsKentucker AudleyVarya Rootwood, Twins