Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters
Directed by Rosalynde LeBlanc, Tom Hurwitz
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters brings to life the creative process that culminated in choreographer-dancer-director Bill T. Jones’s tour de force ballet D-Man in the Waters, one of the most important works of art to come out of the AIDS crisis. In 1989, D-Man in the Waters gave physical manifestation to the fear, anger, grief, and hope for salvation that the emerging Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company felt as they were embattled by the AIDS epidemic. As a group of young dancers in the present re-interpret the work, they deepen their understanding of its power – exploring what is at stake in their own personal lives in order to commit and perform it successfully. Through an extraordinary collage of interviews, archival material, and uniquely powerful cinematography, this lyrical documentary uses the story of this iconic dance to illustrate the power of art and the triumph of the human spirit.
Winner of a 2024 Peabody Award!
Reviews More Reviews
“Critic’s Pick! Passionate and moving… an unusually lively documentary experience.”
“Four stars! A celebration of the process of creation.”
"Goes to the very heart of the vital role art plays in our society during times of social crisis."
“This gripping ode to creativity and to the resiliency of the human spirit… is a definitive ‘must-see’ for every dancer.”
"A kaleidoscopic portrait of an artist that simultaneously taps into the personal and political dimensions that inform the creation of art."
“A dynamic portrait of the function art has in our lives and the transformative impact D-man in the Waters can have on dancers and audiences alike.”
“Fascinating, moving, and precious to behold.”
“It’s a fertile idea, beautifully executed.”
“Lyrical and expertly paced, Can You Bring It feels like the work of a choreographer.”
“A surprisingly emotional look at how a piece forged amid the pain of one era can speak to later eras.”
“An engrossing examination of dance, love, and loss—and the power of art to move through pain.”
Press & Exhibitors
Below please find additional information and promotional materials for this film. Use the buttons on the left to request to book this film for theatrical or educational/community screenings.
For all press requests, please contact us at [email protected].
Technical Info
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Color: Color
Press & Promotion:
playdates
Venue | City | State | Date |
---|---|---|---|
ACME Screening Room | Lambertville | NJ | 1625630400July 7 - October 15, 2021 |
AFI Silver | Silver Spring | MD | 1628222400August 6 - September 3, 2021 |
Alexander Valley Film Society | Cloverdale | CA | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
All Saints Cinema / Tallahassee Film Society | Tallahassee | FL | 1625716800July 8 - October 15, 2021 |
Amherst Cinema | Amherst | MA | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
Athens Ciné | Athens | GA | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Avalon Theatre | Washington | DC | 1626667200July 19 - October 15, 2021 |
Bozeman Film Society | Bozeman | MT | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Brattle Theatre | Cambridge | MA | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Bryn Mawr Film Institute | Bryn Mawr | PA | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
Cameo Cinema | St. Helena | CA | 1626926400July 22 - August 13, 2021 |
Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe | Santa Fe | NM | 1626667200July 19 - July 30, 2021 |
Chelsea Theater | Chapel Hill | NC | 1626321600July 15 - August 31, 2021 |
Cinema Arts Centre | Huntington | NY | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
CineSpeak | Philadelphia | PA | 1627012800July 23 - October 15, 2021 |
Cleveland Cinematheque | Cleveland | OH | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Colonial Theatre | Belfast | ME | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Cornell Cinema | Ithaca | NY | 1627963200August 3 - September 19, 2021 |
Darkside Cinema | Corvallis | OR | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Denver Film / Sie FilmCenter | Denver | CO | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Detroit Institute of Arts | Detroit | MI | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Downing Film Center | Newburgh | NY | 1627272000July 26 - October 15, 2021 |
Film Forum | New York | NY | 1626062400July 12 - July 30, 2021 |
Fine Arts Theatres | Overland Park | KS | 1626148800July 13 - October 15, 2021 |
Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 1625198400July 2 - August 20, 2021 |
Gold Coast Film | Great Neck | NY | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Goldtown Nickelodeon Theater | Juneau | AK | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Grail Moviehouse | Asheville | NC | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
Hamptons Doc Fest | Sag Harbor | NY | 1626148800July 13 - October 15, 2021 |
Hopewell Theater | Hopewell | NJ | 1635220800October 26 - October 30, 2021 |
Hopkins Center for the Arts | Hanover | NH | 1627963200August 3 - August 31, 2021 |
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema | Toronto | ON | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
International Film Series | Boulder | CO | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Jacob Burns Film Center | Pleasantville | NY | 1626926400July 22 - October 15, 2021 |
Laemmle Theatres | Los Angeles | CA | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Lightbox Film Center | Philadelphia | PA | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Michigan Theater | Ann Arbor | MI | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Middleburg Film Festival | Middleburg | VA | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival | Middlebury | VT | 1629864000August 25 - August 29, 2021 |
Milwaukee Film | Milwaukee | WI | 1626667200July 19 - September 24, 2021 |
Montclair Film Festival | Montclair | NJ | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Music Box Theatre | Chicago | IL | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
National Gallery of Art | Washington | DC | 1627963200August 3 - September 17, 2021 |
New York Live Arts | New York | NY | 1623902400June 17 - October 15, 2021 |
No Festival Required | Phoenix | AZ | 1633665600October 8, 2021 - March 18, 2022 |
Northwest Film Forum | Seattle | WA | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Out on Screen | Vancouver | BC | 1627963200August 3 - August 22, 2021 |
Park City Film | Park City | UT | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Pickford Film Center | Bellingham | WA | 1625198400July 2 - August 20, 2021 |
Portland Museum of Art | Portland | ME | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Queens Public Library | Queens | NY | 1628481600August 9 - December 31, 2021 |
Rehoboth Beach Film Society | Rehoboth Beach | DE | 1626408000July 16 - July 30, 2021 |
Rivertown Film Society | Nyack | NY | 1626062400July 12 - July 30, 2021 |
Rose Theatre | Port Townsend | WA | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Salem Cinema | Salem | OR | 1626753600July 20 - October 15, 2021 |
Salt Lake Film Society | Salt Lake City | UT | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
San Francisco Dance Film Festival | San Francisco | CA | 1627963200August 3 - October 24, 2021 |
Savoy Theatre | Montpelier | VT | 1630641600September 3 - December 3, 2021 |
Savoy Theatre | Montpelier | VT | 1628049600August 4 - October 8, 2021 |
Smith Rafael Film Center | San Rafael | CA | 1626321600July 15 - October 15, 2021 |
SNF Parkway Theatre | Baltimore | MD | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
Speed Art Museum | Louisville | KY | 1626062400July 12 - July 30, 2021 |
Taos Center For The Arts | Taos | NM | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
The Loft Cinema | Tucson | AZ | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
The Miracle Theatre | Washington | DC | 1627963200August 3 - September 10, 2021 |
Theatre N | Wilmington | DE | 1627963200August 3 - August 22, 2021 |
TIFF Lightbox | Toronto | ON | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Time & Space Limited | Hudson | NY | 1625198400July 2 - July 30, 2021 |
Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins | Kansas City | MO | 1625198400July 2 - October 15, 2021 |
VIFF Centre | Vancouver | BC | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Webster University Film Series | St. Louis | MO | 1626062400July 12 - October 15, 2021 |
Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center | Westhampton Beach | NY | 1626667200July 19 - July 22, 2021 |
Zeitgeist Theatre | Arabi | LA | 1625630400July 7 - October 15, 2021 |