"Only now, after over a decade of working with Oguri on various projects, from performing together, lighting many of his live productions, to directing him in numerous films, do I finally feel with HEIGHT OF SKY that I am beginning to articulate and illuminate his incredible approach to his artistry. In 2000 Oguri received a grant to research his dance in the deserts of California. For the next 3 years I documented that journey, following him into Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave and Colorado deserts. I witnessed the challenges he faced working in this hostile and adversarial environment. The alluring beauty of the desert might have been enough of a reason for wanting to work in such a landscape, but for Oguri, it went beyond an aesthetic decision. The desert connected deep within his psyche and he wanted to know why. It was only after we began writing the narration for the film did the answers become clear and his reasons were more complex and personal than he had imagined. The dances in the film were not made for the camera. They were going to happen regardless of anyone watching or not, camera or no camera. Nothing was preset, or talked about before hand. Oguri would usually spend days alone in the desert before filming would begin. At times I felt like I was shooting some rare and elusive animal that I’d be lucky to catch sight of. Mostly, Oguri danced to the ambient sounds and silent rhythms of the desert. It wasn’t until he had heard the emotive and spirited music of violinist and composer, Laiko Felix, did he bring music into the desert. In this landscape that has been so scarred and abandoned by human endeavor, Oguri’s dance and Laiko’s music reinstate, if only momentarily, the innate relationship of man to nature, and what they leave behind is seen in the enduring testimony of HEIGHT OF SKY." by Morleigh Steinberg
DANCE IN FILM PROGRAMME - Siamsa Tire Theatre, Tralee - 22nd October 2004 - Kerry Film Festival in association with Siamsa Tíre presents Height of Sky - Morleigh Steinberg 2004 / 75mins / DVD / B+W and Colour.
