In 2007, French actor Juliette Binoche and British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan explored the possibilities of improvisation and the connection between acting and movement in In-I, a dance performance that has been staged more than 100 times at venues around the world. Sixteen years later, Binoche revisits her personal journey through previously unseen footage of this bold collaboration in her directorial debut, In-I Motion, a film that sheds light on the challenges of a daring, risk-taking partnership between two legendary artists, offering firsthand insights into the nature of artistic creation.
Binoche explains, “We began with no pre-established idea or subject that particularly mattered to us. Akram knew he would not be able to choreograph in his usual way, as I wanted to discover a movement that belonged to me. Likewise, I could not perform a pre-written script to dedicate myself to the art of acting. Our artistic capacities would have to adapt to each other…. I want to show moments where Akram teaches me movement, rhythm, connection to the earth—and other moments where I help him deliver his lines, sustain the length of a monologue, and carry the intensity of an emotion through to the end. We had to ensure the balance of our exchange. I allowed myself to propose movements when they came to me—he welcomed my imagination.”
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Juliette Binoche, moderated by Rajendra Roy, MoMA’s Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film.
In-I In Motion. 2025. France. Directed by Juliette Binoche. With Binoche, Akram Khan. In English, French; English subtitles. 127 min.