Rachel McDonald Directs Powerful Dance Film 'Ternura'
Ternura is a powerful new dance film directed by the award-winning Rachel McDonald, created in close collaboration with Mexican choreographer Paulina Pulido and a local cast and crew of multidisciplinary artists.
Emerging from an ongoing creative exchange between McDonald and Pulido who connected while working together on a set, the project came from the heart of all those involved. Sharing a mutual interest in the power of choreography-led storytelling, the two began shaping a piece that could respond to the emotional weight of the current global climate.
Pulido introduced the concept of ternura, a word widely used in Mexico to express tenderness, which became the foundation of the film. The project was further informed by Radical Ternura, a transfeminist framework that explores tenderness, vulnerability, and intimacy as forms of resistance.
“Ternura is what emerged from the union of compassionate artists who believe tenderness can be a form of resistance. Art can sometimes be the only way we know how to process our feelings about the world around us and remind one another of the love that unites us. And sometimes, if we’re lucky, our art can encourage others to face what needs to change. - Director, Rachel McDonald.
Working with limited time and resources, Pulido created original choreography with a group of dancers whose practices span contemporary, urban, and physical theatre. Movement became the central narrative device and language, allowing the film to communicate vulnerability and a strong sense of connection without any dialogue.
The film brings together artists working across contemporary, urban and physical theatre traditions. Cinematographer Chris Blauvelt (First Cow, Showing Up, May December) joined the project as a collaborator, bringing a long-standing creative relationship with McDonald to a more spontaneous, stripped-back process. Produced by Helena Medina and Maury Strong, with on-the-ground production support from The Lift CDMX, Ternura was developed and shot over a short period, shaped by a collective approach across departments. The full dance was captured in a single hour.
Pulido reflects: "One of the most important lessons dance has given me is the ability to transform pain into beauty. I have been an immigrant for most of my life, often feeling halfway Mexican, yet not quite American enough. My sense of home exists in the intersection of every city that has shaped my journey. I am not defined by a single culture, but by the people who have shown me kindness along the way. This piece became a space where that idea could fully come to life. It brought together individuals from three different countries, allowing us to create a shared language of understanding and connection. In that space, we moved with a common purpose: to remind ourselves, and others, of our humanity in a world that so often feels divided."
The final result is a choreography-led film that focuses on physical expression and collaboration, signifying how movement can hold complex emotional states. Developed in a condensed timeframe, Ternura really reflects an instinctive, process-driven approach to creating a film heavily influenced by the culture and experiences of its cast and crew.
CREDITS
Dancers:
Frida Plata
Carlos Rios
Eric Soto
Fernando Alonso
Luis Aguirre
Victor Rodríguez
Directed by : Rachel McDonald
DP: Chris Blauvelt
Producers: Helena Medina, Maury Strong
Choreographer: Paulina Pulido
1st ADs: Barbara Cole, Zaida Fakih Gutierrez
Steadicam: Christian Gibson
1st AC:Germán Betancourt
DiT Luis Aldana
Gaffer: Fabian Medina
Wardrobe Stylist: Paola Alfaro
Hair & Makeup: Chela Olea
Post Production:
Cabin Editing Company
Executive Producer: Liz Lydecker
Editor: Randy Baublis
Music by: Nitsugalaya
Mix: Lime Studios
Sound Mixer: Matt Miller
Color House: Ethos Studio
Colorist: Annie Cater
Supervising Colorist: Dante Pasquinelli
Producer: Nat Tereshchenko
Head of Production: Sasha Pace
MD/EP: Eliana Carranza-Pitcher
Founder/EP: James Drew
