Contemporary Color

The choreographed and vibrant art form known as colour guard gained an enraptured fan in music icon David Byrne. The former Talking Heads frontman found the world of high school students synchronizing complex dance sequences with flag spins and rifle tosses to be creatively invigorating but generally underappreciated. Byrne came up with an ambitious project to celebrate this “sport of the arts” by taking 10 of the continent’s top colour guard teams and pairing them up with some of the most imaginative musicians working today. Stars such as St. Vincent, Devonté Hynes, Nelly Furtado and Ad-Rock were enlisted to perform original music at a live, one-of-a-kind stadium show. Gaining access to this unique production, directors Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross elevate the spectacle through additional structure and visuals, resulting in a stunning, kaleidoscopic cinematic experience. (Hot Docs)