In a time filled with uncertainty, we find ourselves breaking out of routine in search of something new. As the veil comes down, we strive to find ourselves again exploring the unexplored, through movement. Routine puts us in a constant state of noise, full of conformity and disillusionment within ourselves and others. It was when the world came to a halt, that dancer-turned-visual director, Jess Hu turned to film to express her curiosity and passion for reclaiming space. Dans Le Noir — translating to In The Black — features Brooklyn-born Habby Jacques (“Hob”), a Haitian American dancer and model, Flex Dancing on the shores of Montauk, New York, on July 24th, 2020, at the height of the global pandemic. Through his poetic motion he channels vulnerability, honesty, and truth. The collaboration between director Jess Hu and Hob was an opportunity to also redefine Flex Dance. Pairing flex dance in a vast open space accompanied by a custom classic piano score, we strive to elevate and shift the perspective of where movement can live. To achieve the focus of redefining space as a whole, we needed to break away from the conventions of society and expectations. We travelled for hours to the absolute tip of the state, hoping to escape in the silence and come out with clear eyes. Much like ourselves, the day started as a thunderstorm and ended with clear skies. It is from this journey that we present Dans Le Noir, a moment to be yourself and how space can bring about moments of expansion and awakening within oneself. “I wanted the film to embody a feeling of boundless motion, peace, reflection, and hope. We may not know what the future holds but we find the answers in moving with true intention.”

Human complexity has no bounds, so why would art? Jess Hu is focused on communicating the ever-expansive feelings of being seen, heard, and felt as a creative soul in a genre-heavy world, bringing her multidimensional lens to the dance, editorial, runway, film, soundscape, agency, and visual arts worlds—unapologetically boundless. Jess Hu is a multidisciplinary creative mind with a background in dance, music, modelling, creative consulting, and fashion. With a passion for the arts, design, and architecture, she aspires to find ways to tell these expressive stories through a cinematic and emotional lens by merging various worlds together. Her most recent directorial debut, Dans Le Noir, debuted on Nowness as a staff pick and August 2022 was hosted by the San Francisco Museum Visual Arts Program to be displayed at the San Francisco International Airport terminal. Jess continues to redefine strength in vulnerability, building new grounds for everyone to exist blissfully through her art.