MeDirect Bank is a proud supporter of the Maltese community, effectively reinforcing Malta’s culture and performing arts. One entity the company has always held a great relationship with is the Manoel Theatre. This weekend, MeDirect is supporting local talent in the show ‘PERFUME: A Contemporary Dance Performance’, created by Moveo Dance Company.

The performance is being produced in collaboration with Teatru Manoel. At the helm of the project is Dorian Mallia, who is the choreographer and artistic director. The show also features original music by Albert Garcia, and costumes by local fashion designer Ritienne Zammit. The act is inspired by the best-selling novel and film Perfume.

The novel

The book, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, is a historical fantasy novel written by German author Patrick Süskind in 1985. The novel explores the sense of smell, and the emotional attachments scents may have for people. The story’s protagonist, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, is an unloved 18th Century French orphan who is born with an acute sense of smell, giving him a heightened ability to distinguish between diverse scents across the world. As the story progresses, it takes a dark turn when Grenouille encounters a young girl with an unrivalled and wondrous scent, ultimately leading him down the path of murder.

Movie inspiration

In 2006, the book inspired the production of a film, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. The project was directed by Tom Tykwer, and produced by Bernd Eichinger. The film starred Ben Whishaw as Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, along with Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Dustin Hoffman. The movie’s budget was estimated at around €50 million, making this project one of the most expensive German films.

About Moveo Dance Company

Moveo Dance Company was founded in 2008 by artistic director Dorian Mallia. This performance marks the company’s journey into their ten year anniversary. Their vision is to search for the new, and capture the notion of ambiguity in performance. The company also focuses on the body when performing, stating that “within it lies a whole spectrum of possibilities that include identity, cultural and social behaviours.” Previous memorable works by the company include:

• The Picture of Dorian Gray (2014)
• It-Tfajla tal-Gћonella (2015)
• Carmen (2017)
• El Tango (2018)

Moveo Dance Company has also showcased their work internationally, with performances in the USA, Europe, India and the Gulf.

‘PERFUME: A Contemporary Dance Performance’ will be staged at the Teatru Manoel on the 10th and 11th May 2019. We wish the cast and crew the best of luck with the production.