In Theaters 12.06.2024 or Watch at Home 02.07.2025

Obsessed with Light

Directed by Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum
Film Movement
2023
90 Minutes
USA
English
Documentary, Biography, LGBTQIA2S+
Not Rated
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OBSESSED WITH LIGHT pulls back the curtain on Loïe Fuller (1862-1928), a wildly original performer who pioneered modern dance though combining fabric and movement to develop a completely new kind of spectacle. Creating a dialogue between the past and the present, filmmakers Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum delve into the astonishing influence Fuller's work has had on contemporary culture including artists like Taylor Swift, Bill T. Jones, Shakira, William Kentridge, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among many others. “A rich tapestry of discoveries by a passionately devoted mover and transformer of light and shape,” (Eye On Dance) OBSESSED WITH LIGHT is a close study of a woman who became famous on her own terms – unapologetic about her body type, open about her sexuality, and protective of her signature, often mimicked, style.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Sabine Krayenbühl
  • Director: Zeva Oelbaum
  • Starring: Cherry Jones

Where to Watch

Trailer

Photos

Annabelle Moore, Serpentine Dancer
Photo by Ashley Garrett

Reviews

  • "This wondrous doc is most thrilling as an archival endeavor of all that Fuller created and inspired...a necessary watch for even those having a passing interest in dance, silent cinema, la Belle époque, lighting design, modern fashion and perhaps everything in between."
    Manuel Betancourt, Variety
  • "[M]esmerizing and alluring and haunting...."
    Alissa Wilkinson, The New York Times
  • "Named one of Hyperallergic's 25 Best Films of 2024... [A] lustrous tribute to the lesbian icon’s vision, Obsessed with Light juxtaposes archival footage with contemporary iterations of the Serpentine Dance, a genre she created. To see original footage of Fuller onstage, her whirring body a lambent flower, is to reconsider what makes dance — or any art form — 'modern.' "
    Eileen G’Sell, Hyperallergic
  • "Obsessed With Light is effectively directed by Sabine Krayenbuhle and Zeva Oelbaum. They knit together historical footage with contemporary works inspired by Fuller. What unfurls is a rich tapestry of discoveries by a passionately devoted mover and transformer of light and shape. "
    Celia Ipiotis, Eye On Dance
  • "Obsessed with Light moves beyond a mere biopic of Fuller, and into a definitive statement of how she and her work is still influencing the contemporary world around us."
    Steve Sucato, Arts Air
  • "Illuminates the groundbreaking artistry of dancer Loïe Fuller, who inspired the artists and intellectuals of her era—Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Auguste Rodin, Isadora Duncan, and Marie Curie—and continues to influence contemporary icons as diverse as Bill T. Jones, Taylor Swift, Shakira, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and William Kentridge."
    Caitlin Sims, Dance Magazine
  • "Obsessed With Light is a meditation on artistic continuity, of how the past continues to inform and inspire the present. This is a lesson that always bears repeating, particularly in an era as ahistorical as our own."
    Mario Naves, NY Sun
  • "Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum’s visually illuminating Obsessed With Light has an impressive list of on-camera interviews... all sharing their insights on the significant impact Loïe Fuller’s creativity and innovation has had on them and their work."
    Anne-Katrin Titze, Eye for Film
  • "[A] glorious film filled with wondrous things... knocked my socks off.... "
    Steve Kopian, Unseen Films
  • "[I]t is both baffling that it took this long to tell Fuller’s story and comforting that finally great women pioneers like her are getting the attention they deserve."
    Louis Roberts, Loud And Clear Reviews
  • "Obsessed With Light is a captivating, well-edited and illuminating... documentary biopic on Loïe Fuller, an American dancer who revolutionized the art of modern dance and stage lighting. "
    Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
  • "[T]he film, directed by Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Krayenbühl, is a meditation on light and the enduring passion to create. "
    Fjord Review
  • "The filmmakers beautifully depict how a person’s artistic legacy can live on even after their name has been largely forgotten."
    Christine Freije, Moviejawn
  • "“Obsessed with Light” should generate or renew interest in the dancer and her acolytes. "
    Gary M. Kramer, Gay City News
Nominated
Grand Jury Prize
DOC NYC
Nominated
Ad Hoc Docs Competition
Cleveland Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Hamptons Doc Fest
Official Selection
Rome Film Festival
Official Selection
Dance on Camera Film Festival
Official Selection
Palm Springs Int'l. Film Festival
Official Selection
Le FIFA
Nominated
FOCAL Awards
Best Use of Footage in a History Feature
Nominated
FOCAL Awards
Best Use of Footage in an Arts & Entertainment Production

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