The draconian force of immigration law may separate Pepca and Martine – but they find a way 'to be there, no matter where there is.'

'Notes From There' takes an intimate, elliptical look at the affects of separation forced upon two dancers who are lovers and collaborators. Each cope in very different ways.

The draconian force of immigration law may separate Pepca and Martine – but they find a way 'to be there, no matter where there is.'

Martine’s arrest and incarceration plunge her into bleak circumstances with an uncertain future as she awaits her deportation. She meets this challenge by continuing to think of herself not as a victim, but as a dancer. She dances every opportunity she gets – even if it’s only moving her feet to an internal choreography while sitting on a bench or letting her hands wave in the air as she paces in the exercise yard. Her letters to Pepca are illustrated with drawings and notes that share the dances she continues to create.

While Martine embraces dance to survive, Pepca’s reaction to their separation is to withdraw from her dance troupe and slowly lose her desire to be ‘awake.’ Her passion for Martine and dancing is only revealed through Pepca’s dreams. Martine’s dance notes to Pepca come alive in those dreams – where she imagines that she and Martine are reunited and performing their co-created dances together.

'Notes From There' was written and directed by Ann Prim and released in January 2015. Ann is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota with a background in filmmaking, graphic design, photography and music. Her passion is telling stories of women's lives – especially stories that reveal the strength needed to survive and thrive.

She has worked in both experimental and narrative film for more than 10 years and was a Jerome Film and Video Grant recipient in 2010 and 2013. She has been awarded the McKnight Media Arts Fellowship for 2015. Her work has been screened at the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival and many other national and international film festivals.