MIF25: A Symphony of Flesh and Bones at Aviva Studios
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
A Symphony of Flesh and Bones is an evocative film and installation by award-winning artist Juliet Ellis, exploring identity, strength and impermanence. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of the South Warehouse at Aviva Studios, this dreamlike piece draws inspiration from Ellis’s family history, focusing on her father, Lloyd—a world champion bodybuilder—and her brother, Anthony, a former cage fighter.
Blending striking multi-screen visuals with live performance, A Symphony of Flesh and Bones delves into how we shape our bodies as both protection and identity, and how the passage of time reshapes who we are. Rooted in Ellis’s Buddhist practice, the installation blurs the boundaries of past and present, seamlessly interweaving ambition, vulnerability, and the fragility of the self.
As Ellis conducts the piece in real time, audiences are invited into a contemplative, hallucinatory experience that pushes the boundaries of visual art. It challenges perceptions of strength, vulnerability, and transformation, questioning how we perceive our own bodies and the changes that time inevitably brings.
A striking blend of personal narrative and universal themes, A Symphony of Flesh and Bones explores the cyclical nature of human existence, offering a visual and meditative journey into the complexities of life and identity.
Juliet Ellis is a UK/USA-based artist, filmmaker, and performer known for blending live performance, film, and installation. A master of storytelling, she explores themes like identity, memory, and human behavior. Her acclaimed work has featured at major festivals globally, earning commissions and awards from institutions such as the BFI and Arts Council England. Ellis’ debut feature, Ruby, won Best Drama at the Berlin Independent Film Festival.
A Symphony of Flesh and Bones promises to be a profound and visually arresting highlight of MIF25 – certain to leave audiences with lasting questions about strength, identity and the inevitable nature of time.
