A Film by Andrew Reissiger
In association with Crosspulse
ABOUT
An artistic quest takes unexpected turns through life’s challenges as percussionist and rhythm dancer Keith Terry searches for meaning while producing the world’s first festival dedicated to the one instrument we all share — the human body. Since its 2024 premiere, the film has traveled to festivals across four continents, including UNAFF, In-Edit Brazil, Oakland International Film Festival, and the Greek Film Archive.
Motivated by a near brush with death and some prize money as a Guggenheim Fellow, Terry launched the International Body Music Festival in 2008 in his home town of Oakland, California. Over the next decade, the festival traveled from the Bay Area around the world to Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Paris, Bali, and Ghana.
With performances by Terry’s own Slammin All-Body Band, Barbatuques (Brazil), KeKeÇa (Turkey), Molodi (USA) and many others, along with interviews from artists, collaborating partners, an American visa lawyer, and an Italian body psychotherapist, this feature length documentary film explores Terry’s influence on the art form of Body Music, the political barriers to working across borders, and the global and human impact of the festival.
“Snapping, clapping, and singing. We are doing basically the same things but it’s just amazing how all this other information shines through,” Terry says. “It’s really like holding the culture in the body. That was one of the most exciting things and it was a surprise to me that it was so profound.”
The Cast / Participating Artists
Keith Terry, Fernando Barba, Timuçin Gürer, Ayşe Akarsu, Evie Ladin, Bill Martinez, I Wayan Dibia, Celina Kalluk and Lucie Idlout, Emiko Saraswati Susilo, Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo, Valentina Iadeluca, Sandy Silva, Cecilia Engelhart, Doug Goodkin, Dr. Sylvanus Korshie Kuwor, Albert Dzah, Jep Melendez, Raul Cabrera, Grégoire Gensse, Bryan Dyer, Derique McGee, Jeff Cressman, Thanos Daskalopoulos, Antwan Davis, Jason Nious, Khalid Freeman, Cammie Griffin, Kishema Pendu Malik, Angie Freeman, Danielle Hicks, Amber Hines, Alex Feng, Steve Hogan, Tugay Basar, Gokce Gurcay, Ozgu Bulut, Jovino Santos Neto, Lynn Dally
Music by
Slammin All-Body Band, Barbatuques, KeKeÇa, Molodi, Çudamani, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Derique McGee, Celina Kalluk and Lucie Idlout, Sandy Silva, Loop-It, Top Notch Steppers, Step Afrika!, Simone Mongelli, Kenny Muhammad, Leela Petronio, Max Pollak, A Mano Limpia, Cambuyon, Kantu Korpu, Kitka, Bryan Dyer, Alex Feng, Dewa Barata, Carles “Honi” Coles, Jazz Tap Ensemble, (Paul Arslanian, Fred Strickler, Camden Richman)
Awards & Selections
World Premiere — International Body Music Festival, Athens, Greece (2024)
China Premiere — IBMF Minifest, Hangzhou, China (2025)
North American Premiere / Best “Made in Our Town” — Oakland International Film Festival, USA (2025)
Exceptional Merit — Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival, Rehoboth Beach, USA (2025)
Semi-finalist — Seattle Film Festival, USA (2025)
Official Selection — 29th United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF), Palo Alto / East Palo Alto / San Francisco / Stanford University, USA (October 2026)
Canada Premiere — Festival International de Musique Corporelle, Québec City, Canada (2026)
Japan Premiere / Official Selection — Dance and Media Japan International Dance Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan (2026)
Finalist — All That Moves International Film Festival, São Paulo, Brazil (2026)
TEAM
ANDREW REISSIGER is a multimedia artist and creative consultant working across diverse projects in documentary film, music, and education focusing on the transformative power of cross-cultural collaboration.
He is Director and Co-producer of the film Through the Body: The Story of the International Body Music Festival (2024). Past films include Friday Jumbo – Africa70 Percussionist (Director/Producer, 2013); El Charango (Associate Producer, 2006 SilverDocs selection); and Dirty Work (Music Consultant, 2004 Sundance selection).
He has worked as Director of Education for Small Island Big Song, a pan-oceanic collective of Indigenous musicians, dancers, and climate activists from 16 island nations. From 2014-2017, he was Director of Music Programs for the Nile Project and Recording/Mix Engineer for three CDs including “Jinja” (Best of 2017 Transglobal Music Chart).
From 2005-2008, he was Producer and Host of World Tour Radio where he received a 2006 Georgia Association of Broadcasters Award for Best Feature/Documentary.
An accomplished musician, he has served as Music Director of Lagos Roots (featuring founding members of Fela Kuti’s Africa70), performed alongside Pete Seeger at Monterey Jazz Festival, with Omega Bugembe Okello at Sauti Za Busara, and collaborated with Puerto Rican Nueva Tova stars Roy Brown and Tito Auger. He is best known for his original work with Dromedary and Jonathan Byrd.
Crew
Andrew Reissiger (director, editor, photography, USA)
Renata Ursaia (additional photography, Brazil)
Antonios Vallindras (additional photography, Greece)
Archival Footage / Photography
Tomas Doruska
Gamelan Sekar Jaya
Special thanks to Executive Producer Art Ratner, Artist Trust, and the 87 backers from 14 countries who contributed to our 2024 Indiegogo campaign to help bring Through the Body across the finish line.
PHOTO GALLERY
