Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away
Andrea Torres
Aerialist and Founder/Director of Samadhi Hawaii
Where and with whom did you see the movie?
I saw it at Ward Theatres with my brother Eduardo Sa and sister-in-law Uilani Pauole de Sa, sister Catia Torres de Sa and mother Carmen Torres de Sa.
Overall, what did you think?
Really enjoyed the movie. It is wonderful to be able to see a Cirque du Soleil production from close – costumes, faces, details. And what a huge production! I can’t even imagine all the technical details involved. It can be overwhelming and an overload of information sometimes, like giving away all your tricks at once. But that’s Cirque du Soleil. More is more, and more perfection each time – a fantasy circus world, combining the best team of creators with the best athlete bodies that can handle the load of the work – super-human, almost extra-terrestrial. In fact, Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, is fascinated with the moon and has been in space himself! He definitely has one foot out of our planet. Cirque du Soleil is a sun circus – powerful – yet with the dreamy imagination of the moon.
Interesting that after all the grand images, super-human performances and superb production, what stuck to my mind after I left the movie was the simple Beatles song played during credits: “All you need is love … lalalalala … all you need is love … lalalalala.”
Without giving away the ending, what was one of your favorite scenes?
I like the simple images, and I had three favorites. First, the man spinning inside the cube reminds me of my double-hoop apparatus. Second, the moon becoming a human fishbowl with the woman inside. And third, parts of the final duet, where the girl’s dress flowed perfectly and in slow motion.
On a scale of one to four stars, what would you rate this film?
★★★.
What did you think of the cinematography?
Great cinematography, with the view from so many angles and close up.
Was the message/theme clear?
Yes. Simple love tale in a fantasy world.
Did it remind you of any other work in film?
Yes. Alice in Wonderland meets Avatar meets Star Wars meets Cirque du Soleil shows.
Did any of the actors stand out?
Not really, they are all perfect-looking and doll-like. If anything, I like the clown that appears in the beginning and gives her the aerialist “flier.”
On a different note, what’s new with you?
2012 was an amazing year for Samadhi Hawaii. The company, students and youth companies performed in about 60 events in Hawaii, including community, corporate and private functions, and our own Samadhi-produced shows. We had our first international performance in Indonesia, and ended the year with a successful Student Showcase with about 100 aerial-dancer students. The school is growing. Classes are on break right now and will start again Jan. 11. Check the schedule and register online at samadhihawaii.com.
There is a slight chance I will be in the next season of America’s Got Talent, but will only find out in February.
