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Contemporary Color

Contemporary Color

2016

Director

Bill Ross, Turner Ross, Laura Obiols

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

In the summer of 2015, legendary musician David Byrne staged an event at Brooklyn's Barclays Center to celebrate the art of Color Guard: synchronized dance routines involving flags, rifles, and sabers. Recruiting performers that include the likes of St. Vincent, Nelly Furtado, Ad-Rock, and Ira Glass to collaborate on original pieces with 10 color guard teams from across the US and Canada, Contemporary Color is a beautifully filmed snapshot of a one-of-a-kind live event.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

7.0/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Good

The film explores identity through the non-normative movements of Color Guard. It provides a platform for queer identities to critique social structures through synchronized performance.

Gender Representation

Good

Performers subvert traditional masculine and feminine dichotomies through athletic and expressive movement. The narrative emphasizes personal agency over conventional social scripts.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The documentary utilizes diverse color guard teams to reflect a multi-ethnic North American landscape. It examines how individuals of color navigate visibility and social categorization.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The work prioritizes subjective experience and fluid, identity-based connections over traditional Western institutions. It offers a critique of systemic structures that marginalize non-conforming identities.

Disability Representation

Fair

The film touches on physical realities through the lens of movement. However, it does not center specific narratives regarding neurodivergence or chronic illness.

Strengths

  • Uses non-normative physical expression to disrupt heteronormative and traditional gender expectations.
  • Provides a sophisticated exploration of queer identity through the lens of synchronized movement.
  • Reflects a multi-ethnic landscape by featuring diverse color guard teams from across North America.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks a central narrative arc specifically addressing disability, neurodivergence, or chronic illness.
  • The focus on aesthetic abstraction may limit the depth of specific racial and ethnic political discussions.

AI Analysis

Contemporary Color succeeds as a meditative study on identity rather than a mere musical spectacle. By using the stylized movements of Color Guard, the film creates a space where performers can navigate and challenge social power dynamics and gendered expectations. The documentary excels at using performance as a metaphor for visibility. It moves beyond simple representation to explore how marginalized perspectives interact with broader cultural frameworks through art and synchronized movement. While the film offers a sophisticated look at intersectional identity, it remains somewhat limited in its specific focus on disability. The narrative prioritizes aesthetic abstraction and movement over explicit depictions of neurodivergence or physical impairment.

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