15 minutes, Experimental, 16mm color film, 2001

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A contemporary ceremonial dance between performers and camera, 'Tracing a Vein' charts the journey of an individual through the cycle of life. The film combines live action and stop motion camera work, with choreography influenced by Japanese Butoh dance. Drawing on a range of mythology and folklore, 'Tracing a Vein' attempts to re-appropriate the spiritual power of ancient performance; to rediscover the performer as priest, warrior and healer.

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The title 'Tracing a Vein' presents the idea of going back to one's origins, and communion with oneís ancestors. Fire is used to symbolize destruction, purification, the untamable, and a conclusion, which nourishes a new beginning. Ancient ceremonial costumes are given a contemporary translation. Traditional materials like feathers and bark are replaced by common clothespins, making the body into a tactile tapestry.

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Directed by Danièle Wilmouth, 'Tracing a Vein' features the performers Joseph Ravens. Marianne Kim, Katherine Behar, and Adrian Danzig. The music was composed and performed by the British artist Adrian Freedman. The film was completed with the help of an Artist's Residency at Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago.