FANTASIA 2021: Alien on Stage
FANTASIADirecting duo Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey’s documentation of the creation and execution of Alien adapted for the stage – by an amateur production of Dorset Bus Drivers – is a mesmerising and utterly heartfelt feature. There is so much to touch upon in this incredible documentary. First and foremost, it should be said that, narratively, Kummer and Harvey's film is in no way unique or vastly different from what has come before it. It is straightforward and wonderfully accessible, consciously expelling that cinema is not a working-class platform.
To create and to produce cinema costs dearly. To watch and own equally has a cost-effective nature to it. Alien on Stage showcases the heartwarming and loving nature of cinematic material brought to and made from the working class, and with that, all expectations and just pure thematics rise to the top for an incredibly warming feature.
Following these subjects and their mission is spellbinding. Aside from one or two participants, nobody involved feels a connection to the material. They are making this purely for fun, to test themselves and hopefully bring in revenue for their charity. There is no ego. No dictatorship. The only ruling factor and theme throughout is that nobody involved wants to look silly or made to look a fool. A theme that is kept tense all the way until opening night, and with the audience feeling the same trepidation as the subjects, it makes the climax all the more endearing and memorable when it brings the house down.
Seeing these creative people connect and ultimately thrive with this project, specifically its third act, is a genuinely delightful and beautiful moment to witness. It will bring the crowd to tears, no doubt. However, again, this is not just a film that wants to showcase the theatrical nature of theatre; it also comments on social and cultural prejudice.
In this group's success in bringing their show to London, they are now accepted; they are more than their titles of work for the Dorset Bus Company. They can leave London knowing they are appreciated and matter. It is these moments of just pure tenderness and emotional depth that are ecstatic to witness on screen. To see such joy and hope be celebrated is a truly humbling experience to bear witness.
Alien on Stage is outstanding. Its documentation of the process all round of crafting this production is inspiring and well crafted for an immersive connection. However, it is the deeper emotional side of this documentary that elevates it. All in all, it is an exhilarating, poignant, and downright marvellous piece of documentary, and even it would make Ridley Scott and Walter Hill proud.
