The Global Search for Education: Juggling for Freedom: A Prison Film Without Words

This month on Planet Classroom, audiences can watch Bold, a short film curated by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival.

Bold, directed by Alla Kovgan and Miko Malkhasyan, is a moving story of unity through juggling — set inside a prison. What begins as division dissolves into human connection as prisoners and their guard discover a shared rhythm. With no dialogue and vivid visual storytelling, Bold is a striking reminder that humanity can persist even in confinement. It’s an inspiring exploration of resilience and creative expression.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome the film’s directors, Alla Kovgan and Miko Malkhasyan.

What inspired you to tell this story through juggling?

Miko and I met artist, master juggler, and choreographer Sean Gandini and his creative partner Kati Ylä-Hokkala. They’ve worked with people from all walks of life — amateurs and virtuosos alike — on world-renowned stages like the Metropolitan Opera, Sadler’s Wells, and Théâtre de la Ville, as well as in community centers, homeless shelters, and prisons.

Through their work, we rediscovered juggling as an art form accessible to everyone — regardless of age, gender, nationality, or religion. The act of throwing and catching objects becomes a universal language, exposing our shared humanity.

Sean shared many powerful stories with us. One that deeply resonated was about a community of religious girls in Afghanistan at the Circus of Kabul. Because they couldn’t engage in physical contact, they took up juggling as a form of communication and self-expression — and became the largest group of female jugglers in the world.

We also learned about juggling programs in prisons across the U.S., Belgium, Lithuania, and beyond — such as those featured in this interview with David Cain. That inspired us to set the film in a prison, where traditional communication is restricted. Color, too, plays an important symbolic role — reflecting identity, values, and beliefs in contemporary society.

How did you develop choreography for non-dancers?

The short answer: you choreograph. With Sean and Kati’s help, that’s what we did.

Everyday life is full of choreography — just think about how we cross the street. Jugglers are physical performers with remarkable spatial awareness and precision. In some ways, it’s even easier to work with jugglers than dancers because juggling inherently sets limits: the rhythm of the action, the arc of the movement, and, eventually, a dropped ball.

We also had to create a cinematic language that captured juggling on screen. Our tests revealed that camera angle changes everything: shooting from above makes objects seem suspended; shooting from below gives a sense of threat. Filming from a slightly elevated angle — where jugglers fix their gaze — lets viewers feel the juggler’s intense focus. The result demystifies the act of juggling while preserving its wonder.

What challenges did filming in confined spaces present?
Confinement itself. Every action needs space — and in prison, that space is scarce.

We weren’t just choreographing action; we were choreographing the viewer’s gaze through camera movement. That meant every shot had to be precisely storyboarded and rehearsed.

We also shot on 35mm film, which added pressure. Unlike video, which allows unlimited takes, celluloid is expensive and finite. Every second counted. So, we had to be incredibly precise in our planning and execution.

How do you hope audiences connect emotionally to this silent story?
Bold is a first step in our effort to create a juggling feature musical. It’s a short, mysterious burst of cinematic and performative energy.

Though there are no words, the film is far from silent. Story unfolds through movement, rhythm, and visual narrative. Miko crafted a vivid visual palette that draws audiences in immediately. Even if they don’t fully understand the story at first, they feel it.

Arthur Solari’s sound design and Roger Miller’s music give the film its heartbeat — driving the story and connecting audiences to the emotional rhythm. It’s also a timely tribute to women and creative power.

It’s a wonderful story — Thank you both!

C.M. Rubin with Alla Kovgan and Miko Malkhasyan

Watch Bold now on Planet Classroom’s YouTube channel.

This film is curated by the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival for Planet Classroom.