Ballet Documentary ‘Swan Song’ Acquired By Greenwich Entertainment

EXCLUSIVE: Greenwich Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Swan Song, the ballet-themed documentary that will open Lincoln Center’s 52^nd Dance on Camera Festival Friday evening.

The film – a Dogwoof, Visitor Media, Mercury Films, and Quiet Ghost Chelsea McMullan production, directed and co-written by Chelsea McMullan – premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. Greenwich plans to release Swan Song in theaters in the fall.

“Swan Song immerses viewers inside one of the world’s leading ballet companies as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain on the eve of her retirement,” notes a description of the film. “The verité-driven feature documentary closely follows Kain and a group of young dancers drawn from the National Ballet of Canada’s ranks, weaving Swan Lake’s dramatic creation process with intimate scenes from the subjects’ personal lives as they push toward one of the most significant opening nights in their company’s history.”

In a statement, McMullan and Sean O’Neill – producer and co-writer — said, “We’re thrilled that Swan Song will reach audiences in the United States thanks to the support of Greenwich Entertainment. Swan Song was a rollercoaster ride to make and we’re so excited to share this all-access, intimate, adrenaline rush of a film with audiences. We followed our subjects for more than two years, from their private lives and into the rehearsal room as they strived toward a career-defining opening night—and we can’t wait for audiences to see the beauty and the pain of ballet on the big screen.”

As Deadline reported last August, actress Neve Campbell is among the executive producers of the film. She trained in dance at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, and among her screen credits is the 2003 Robert Altman dance-themed film The Company. Fellow EPs of Swan Song include O’Neill and McMullan, Jennifer Baichwal (Anthropocene: The Human Epoch), Nicholas de Pencier (Anthropocene: The Human Epoch), Oli Harbottle (The Lost Leonardo), and Anna Godas (Playing With Sharks).

Swan Song is produced by O’Neill (LIDO TV, Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas) and Christina Carvalho.

Greenwich’s Andy Bohn negotiated the acquisition with Dogwoof’s Ana Vicente on behalf of the filmmakers.

Along with Swan Song, Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera lineup includes Obsessed with Light, directed by Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum. The documentary explores the career of Loïe Fuller, a pioneering figure in dance and stage lighting, who gained famed around the turn of the 20^th century. Fuller’s work is said to have inspired Taylor Swift, Shakira, and choreographer Bill T. Jones, among other notables.