SWAN SONG immerses viewers inside one of the world’s leading ballet companies as it mounts a monumental and legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain as she bids farewell to the company she’s become synonymous with. The verité-driven feature documentary closely follows Kain and a group of young dancers drawn from across the National Ballet of Canada’s ranks, weaving the ballet’s dramatic creation process with intimate scenes from the subjects’ personal lives as they push toward one of the most significant opening nights in their company’s history. Kain and her company granted unrestricted access, and the filmmakers followed the film’s subjects for nearly two years through creative challenges, injuries and personal setbacks, a global pandemic that locked the company down, and a pointed push for equity and change from within its ranks. SWAN SONG’s intimate, character-driven approach invites viewers to consider the impacts of the culture of ballet on its artists—the film’s subjects, in various ways, challenge traditional ideals of race, sexuality, class and physicality as they navigate a tradition that has historically valued compliance and perfection. At the same time, the film captures the sincere love of the form that drives Kain and the dancers alike as they face extraordinary challenges and make profound sacrifices in an effort to create something beautiful and lasting.

Chelsea McMullan is a director, writer and producer. Their work in documentary, experimental narrative, and hybrid films have explored the work of leading international artists through the cinematic frame. Their most recent feature Ever Deadly (TIFF 2022), created in collaboration with the Inuk artist, writer and musician Tanya Tagaq, explores Tanya's incandescent and unforgettable artistic voice through the frame of a live performance captured in a single take. The film, which will be released by Kino Lorber in 2023, is punctuated by documentary elements and animations by the internationally renowned Inuk artist Shuvinai Ashoona. Their previous features include My Prairie Home, a musical documentary about the transgender musician Rae Spoon and the feature documentary Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas about the world-renowned choreographer. Their films have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, True/False, and other leading festivals and venues internationally. Chelsea has made numerous acclaimed short films about and in collaboration with artists such as Eileen Myles, Zhang Huan, Isabelle Marant and Ken Lum. They have also directed for television, including episodes of the documentary series This is Pop (Netflix/Crave) and In the Making (CBC). In 2023, they will premiere Swan Song (CBC/Dogwoof), a verité-driven feature documentary and four-part limited series that follows The National Ballet of Canada as the company mounts a new production of Swan Lake.