TENGRI WOMAN

The film KIELI BI – Woman Who Raises the Wind takes place in Dana’s native Mangystau region in Kazakhstan. Set within vast, elemental landscapes imbued with myth and sacred presence, the work channels the energy of place through movement and awakens a visceral sense of memory carried within the body.

The live dance performance extends the film into the present moment, giving physical form to themes of resilience, instinct and transformation. A Q&A with Dana Mussa will follow the dance performance.

In the context of today’s world, TENGRI WOMAN becomes a quiet yet powerful assertion of women’s place, voice and freedom.

The film was selected at the Cannes Film Festival 2020 (Short Film Corner), as well as in several major dance film festivals in the world, such as "Dance on camera" in New York, "Inshadows" in Lisbon, "Lift - off" in London and "Bastau" in Kazakhstan.

"It is a spiritual and corporal journey on the land of my Kazakh ancestors through the palette of different movements and expressions of the 7 feminine archetypes. These archetypes remain the liberty of expression, the female basic animal instincts and profound connection with Nature whether we are a modern or tribal woman."

— Dana Mussa

About Dana Mussa

Dana Mussa is a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker whose multidisciplinary practice brings together movement, cinema and explorations of identity, memory and the body.

Originally from Kazakhstan, she moved to France in 2010, where she developed her work across both dance and film. She holds a degree in Cinema Directing from the National Academy of Arts in Kazakhstan, a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from EICAR in Paris, and a BA in Dance from Paris 8 University.

Her training spans both classical and contemporary dance, including studies with institutions and practitioners connected to the Paris Opera, the National Dance Centre, Conservatoire de Boulogne, Micadanses and the company of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

Dana has created several short films presented at international festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, Riga, Lisbon, New York and Paris. Her work draws on personal history and ancestral landscapes, using the expressive potential of the body to explore femininity, cultural memory and the connection between past and present.

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