Dance graduate explores injury, recovery in filmmaking debut

In 2012, Ryerson Dance graduate Miranda Forbes suffered a brain injury after being hit by an SUV. The accident rendered her unable to continue her career as a professional dancer, and put her creative life in a state of flux. But during the long recovery process, she began to discover new forms of self-expression.

“I started taking pictures when I was in the rehabilitation process—I spent a lot of time in my apartment, so I ended up taking a lot of pictures of my surroundings,” remembered Forbes. “I felt like I wanted to return to a creative process. Coming out of recovery I thought it would be good to re-explore some of what I experienced through filmmaking.

“Then I was introduced to the bridge space on the lower Don River Trail and I found it to be a really interesting space in the city. After that, I started planning storyboards, and developed a more solidified script for the film.”

Forbes is now in preproduction on Wall Stare, a short film that marks her debut as a director—and her first step back into the dance world after her injury. The short abstract film stars Toronto Dance Theatre member and Ryerson dance alum Christianne Ullmark, and depicts Forbes’ own recovery from the life-changing accident. “All of the moments that we’re capturing felt really familiar to me, because I was taking snippets of my own life and recovery,” Forbes said. “I was used to doing dance on camera, so I really like the flexibility that offers me—the fact that it isn’t live performance on a stage, and I can explore the body in different environments.”

Working with Ryerson Film Studies graduate Ann Tipper as cinematographer and co-producer, Forbes shot preliminary footage with Ullmark and launched a successful Indiegogo campaign, which raised more than $10,000. The rest of the film will shoot in the spring, with an eye towards a summer 2017 release.

"She has such amazing instincts, and she's learning and growing as an artist," said Ann Tipper. "I think the project is very therapeutic, and it means a lot to me that I'm with her because of our past work together. It's really nice for her to be able to connect with dance, just in a different way this time."

In addition to filmmaking, Forbes continues to work on her recovery. “I’ve made huge improvements since I first was discharged from the hospital. My double vision is resolved; a lot of my migraines I’ve been able to prevent with certain mediations; and my right leg—which I couldn’t move in the hospital—is getting stronger. I think it will always feel a little different, but I’ve just accepted it as the new normal to have that leg feel a bit heavy. But all that said, I think I’ve made a good recovery.”

When asked where her creative future lies, Forbes said, “I’d like to continue to work in film. I’m not sure how dance plays in that—I’m kind-of renegotiating my relation to dance. Previous to the accident I was choreographing a lot, and I feel like I will return to that, but at this point I’m not quite ready. I’m going to play it by ear and see what inspires me.”

For more information about Wall Stare, and to donate to the production, visit the Indiegogo campaign.