Rolling (2017)
Super 8 transferred to digital
Silent
Duration: 5’52”
The horizontal axis dominates, while the isolation of the gym emphasizes the enclosure. The overhead lighting washes the black and red mats with a fluorescent tone, rendering the space unchanged, while the bodies remain mute, nimble, and in control.
Intrigued by these embraces, my filming functions as a familiarising step towards my participation.
The film looks at Jiu-Jitsu not as competition but as a process—a study of bodies in relation to surface and tension, fascinated with how they align, fold, and press against one another within the frame.
“Rolling”, in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, refers to live sparring or grappling practice with a partner.
Screened/Exhibited at:
2021 Ineffable Islands, Eight Films from Cyprus, Space52, Athens, Greece, 3 July 2021
Curated by Argyro Nicolaou
2023 Three Films (With Movement), Cubitt, London, UK, 12 October 2023
Presented in dialogue with Two Films About Love
2025 11 Parthenon, A project by Andre Zivanari & Haris Epaminonda, 11 Parthenon Street, Ayios Andreas, Nicosia, Cyprus, 25 April – 27 June 2025
Photo: Haris Epaminonda © 2025