It’s early summer, and a group of young animateurs from different countries – Kazakhstan, Russia, the Baltic states, etc – arrives at the Mirage Hotel in Greece. Kalia (Dimitra Vlagopoulou), a slightly older dancer with a gorgeous body and long blond hair, greets them. Polish Eva (Flomaria Papadaki) stands out amongst the new arrivals. Kalia and Eva quickly develop a strong friendship, based on female mutual understanding, support and assistance.

Kalia tells Eva that she wanted to be like Madonna ever since she was a child. Indeed, this fragile woman knows how to light up the audience. She understand what the guests want, and relays her experience to the group of dancers. One day, an accident occurs during a performance: Kalia injures her leg. It becomes increasingly difficult for her to perform. She tries to numb her trauma with alcohol, pills and casual sex, but her tactics could compromise her career.

This is not the first time Sofia Exarchou has collaborated with Vlagopoulou. In her debut Park (2016), she played the protagonist’s girlfriend. The film was dedicated to the Olympic Village in Greece, 10 years after the Olympic Games. Exarchou chose a similar topic for her second film, replacing the athletes with dancers, and the Olympic village with a seaside resort. The gruelling training sessions and endurance tests (for the body and the mind) remain the same. Dancing too is a sport.

It took Exarchou almost six years to make Animal. She wrote the script in fragments, initially having no idea where the ending would lead her. She came up with all the music and dance numbers herself – and this is no mean feat. Kalia sings Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie in the karaoke bar, in one of the film’s most crucial moments. A moving scene guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. Exarchou is a subtle psychologist. Traumatised Kalia meets Austrian tourist Jonas at a local bar, and they have a one-night stand. Vlagopoulou delivers a masterful performance, conveying a real sense of intimacy. The audience gets the impression that it is this interaction that will change the future fate of Kalia and the very ending of the film.

Audiences will forever remember the hard work of animateurs. The animalistic energy that they have to put into their performances has a major impact on both their physical and their psychological health. Animal features professional dancers with little acting experience. This is an uplifting film, nevertheless. There’s abundant positive energy. The outcome is both inspiring and energising.

In addition to the bright choreography, Animal also features Vassilia Rozana’s glitzy costume design.

Animal premieres in the 32nd edition of Raindance, which takes place between June 19th and 28th.