Parallel Dreams

An amateur astronomer discovers a strange new star in the sky that leads him into the heart of a dark conspiracy to control humanity by exploiting its addiction to technology.

Based on true stories, ALLURE is a process-driven film, where filmmakers and actors worked together through a series of improvisations to tell the stories of five women in New York, who come from five very different countries. Each one struggles to overcome her personal conflict, set against the Occupy Wall Street movements of 2011. These stories touch and inform each other, and create a larger narrative about gender, emigration, power, class, and personal politics.

In New York, an absurd coincidence links the lives of a Yugoslavian hitman, his ex-wife and her new partner, a policeman whose father was a criminal. His code name is "Uncle Vanya". He grew up in Bosnia, an orphan of both parents and, having never met them, he does not know whether he is a Serb, a Croat or a Muslim. A victim of his fate and his past in war-torn Bosnia, he has become a hitman. He would like to stop killing but he can't.

This is a journey with the ghost of Simkhovitch as she roams through Greenwich House, a voyage that blends together aspects of both past and present, set against a soundscape created by Joan La Barbara an Avangard composer and performer.

A freelance photographer in New York City, suddenly finds himself under a bleak confinement of his own mind while the entire city falls under a physical lockdown. Isolated he roams the deserted streets in the night his mind becomes increasingly restless. Over time, his past and present photography oscillate between fantasy and reality, surrendering him into the asylum of his own mind.

This documentary tells the fascinating story of Vija Vetra, a world-renowned Latvian dancer, choreographer and teacher. At the age of 84, Vetra remains a vital and creative force, and her tale offers inspiration for both artists and lovers of the arts. In a career spanning seven decades, she has mastered diverse styles ranging from ballet to traditional Indian dance, and her talent has won her acclaim as a 'spirit in human form' and 'the bridge between East and West.' Her life is a celebration of the power and beauty of the art of dance, but is also a powerful story of struggle, loneliness and sacrifice. Her creative , positive spirit stands alone against a materialistic world that is constantly changing. Her wise soul, her point of view and criticism towards the modern world push us to think about secret meanings, symbols and the simplicity of life.

Film is inspired from Danilo Kis's book "A Tomb for Boris Davidovich" and historical events that deal with themes of political deception, betrayal, and murder in Eastern Europe during the first half of the 20th century.

Inspired by the collaborative practice of composer John Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer Joan La Barbara and filmmaker Aleksandar Kostic created an event in which the film and music were conceived independently, allowing the two works to meet for the first time in performance.