Crucifiga

Erika O'Neill & Simon Hjortek

Sweden

Crucifiga is a dance film that blurs the lines between humanity and artificial intelligence in a biotechnological future. It explores the creation of a "perfection" shaped by societal icons, challenging perceptions of womanhood in a patriarchal world.

What is a woman's greatest sin? Desire, hunger, greed? The film raises these questions, urging us to reconsider the ideals we teach our children. Despite claiming to raise "free thinkers," we still imprison them within outdated norms. Are we chasing an illusion of perfection, or reflecting our own aspirations through self-made icons?

In a world ruled by social media, "Crucifiga" questions our views on happiness, freedom, and integrity. Through dance, societal norms are challenged as we follow a choreographic process with 14 dancers, aged 6 to 40. A woman's greatest sin? Freedom – the right to fully experience emotions like desire, anger, and sorrow. This film speculates on how norms shape and mold us, exploring the cost of pursuing perfection

words from the filmmaker

We set out to create a sci-fi inspired dance film that questions both our current time and the future we are heading toward. As parents and artists, we wanted to explore humanity's constructed ideals, normative boundaries, and societal pressures. These rigid structures are imposed at ever younger ages, shaping children to compare, mold, and limit themselves based on unrealistic expectations—often leading to distorted body images and mental health struggles.

During the choreographic process with 14 dancers, ages 6 to 40, we asked: What is a woman’s or girl’s greatest sin? The unanimous answer was "Freedom"—the unrestricted freedom to feel desire, anger, envy, sorrow, or true happiness. The choreography draws inspiration from 'cultivated behaviors' and 'courteous customs,' pushing these norms to their extreme to create exaggerated, mechanical movements. Inspired by biblical themes, we also explored jealousy, betrayal, and the conflict between conscience and emotion.