Turn It Loose is a film about six world class B-Boys. Director Alastair Siddons explores what’s going on under their skin, what their diverse cultural backgrounds are like and how hip-hop is their common language.
What was the initial idea behind Turn It Loose?
What fascinated me from the start was the calmness beneath the music. This is interesting because it is not what you think of in a Hip Hop film today, yet it is the only way, I believe, to show and really reveal the energy. A B-Boy who is training without music, with just the noise of steps and the rustling of clothes, this is the true essence of B-Boyin’. Turn It Loose is not a film about the technique; it is rather a film about what happens inside, what it is that really inhabits the dancers: the silence of the body, the absolute concentration and the determination.
It is also a film about the other side of the story – the daily life of B-Boys...
Exactly, yes. I think that before being a film about B-Boys, Turn It Loose is a film about boys. Before being dancers, they are young men, concentrated and determined. These are the things that I tried to capture by following them over several days, by attending their training sessions, and witnessing the sacrifices they make.
How did you select the B-Boys?
I wanted people who had stories to tell, who all had a different background. It is interesting, when you make this type of film, for the characters stand out. I didn’t simply want good dancers. Benji, for instance, represents the Senegalese scene in the same way as the American B-Boys represented the New York scene 30 years ago. It is a striking attitude, which enables viewers to really submerge themselves in the film.
What specifically is important when you film B-Boys?
What interests me is the game play, the pantomime. For me, there are two instants in dance; in a battle for example you have the actions of the dancer, and the reaction of the person watching, who is reflecting and thinking about what he will do. Personally, it is hugely important to film the person watching, waiting his turn to dance, and who is thinking what he has to do to win. It is pure silence and, on the face of the person watching, there are emotions which I wanted to capture. I wanted to capture the pure energy of the battle, and not only the acrobatic movements. In Turn It Loose the show is on the inside.
What did you discover by following these dancers on a day-to-day basis?
What I also find interesting is that B-Boyin’ is a Hip Hop discipline which doesn’t fit at all with the image we have of this culture. In rap, the guys are loaded with money, or at least act as if they are, on the album covers for example. In breaking, nobody is there for the money, because there is none. They are simply there because they love it, which is the single motivation. It is a street thing, something that only goes on because of the passion of those who do it.
When they talk about it, the B-Boys you filmed also mention the fact that they truly discovered themselves through this film...
What they mean is that originally they actually knew little about each other. If you put all six of them in a room, they could not really talk to each other or hold a long conversation. Taisuke only speaks Japanese, for example. But they communicate through their movements, their bodies, and this is a language which they understand. But as well as that, I believe the film enabled them to effectively discover things they didn’t suspect, about each other, particularly about the lives they lead, each in their own part of the world.
Alastair Siddons is a London-based film maker. He has made music videos for the likes of Roots Manuva, The Streets, Kano and Crazy. Turn it Loose is his first documentary feature.
Check out interviews with the stars of the movie here and visit http://www.turnitloosemovie.com/
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