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Logline

An American dancer arrives in Berlin to audition for a renowned company, only to enter a strange world of unspoken rules and identical bodies where every choice leaves a lasting mark.

Synopsis

Trimmed follows Jack Clemmons, an ambitious American dancer who travels to Berlin for an audition with an elite contemporary company, led by the renowned Boris Kallos.

Jack is talented and disciplined, but he’s also hungry. He has the kind of hunger that makes you tell yourself you can handle anything, as long as you get in the room. He arrives in at the company’s brutalist establishment and is processed by Heinrich, Boris’s right hand, who runs the audition. Jack is given paperwork, asked to confirm he’s “comfortable with nudity,” and directed into a waiting area with other male dancers, all possessing a strange sameness. At first, it feels like any high-pressure audition: hard competition, strict instructions, bodies warming up, everyone trying to look effortless.

Then the atmosphere shifts. In the dressing room, the dancers all know to groom themselves to match a “standard,” guided by a Polaroid. Jack is confused, and hesitant but complies after watching the group become eerily uniform, as if individuality is being erased before they even step on stage. Jack is invited on stage. Through a series of rounds, Jack performs choreography, then improvisation. Boris instructs him in increasingly personal variations of “show me,” “again,” “more.” Each round pushes him further away from his artistry and closer to submission.

Jack senses the dehumanization, yet he keeps choosing participation, convincing himself it’s the price of art, excellence and acceptance. He’s pushed to a breaking point.In the final round, Jack reaches a moment of purity in his dancing, but despite his efforts, Jack is cut.

He’s flooded with shame and disappointment. But he discovers the process doesn’t end with rejection. The film concludes when Boris requests to see him privately. The suggestion is obvious. Jack hesitates, then says yes, choosing proximity to power even after witnessing its violence.

Meet the Filmmakers

Matty Peacock — Writer/Director/Producer
Born in Seoul, Korea and raised in New York, Matty Peacock is an LA based writer-director, choreographer, and creative director, whose work can be seen in music videos, commercials, TV, and on stages around the world. Matty’s skills have helped to mold some of the most iconic artists in pop culture, catapulting him to becoming a creative force in music. He has toured the world with artists including Ariana Grande, Madonna, Billie Eilish, and the 1975. Most recently, Matty has continued to push boundaries by effortlessly combining his unique choreography skills under the lens of cinema. His directorial work includes some of the most viewed music videos in the world for artists like Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish. He has directed commercials for renowned companies such as Apple, Budweiser, Pepsi, and Michael Kors. In 2023, Matty was the recipient of the Kodak Award for his achievement in music shot on film.

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Contact

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