AS WITHIN SO WITHOUT
As Within, So Without is a dance film exploring identity, duality, and inner conflict through movement and visual storytelling. Brooke Milliner choreographed the piece, which Christian Bevilacqua and RULA Design Studio filmed and animated. Commissioned by Coventry University, the project forms part of a wider research study into the ontology and digital ownership of dance in online spaces.
Rooted in the Cherokee legend of the two wolves, one of light and the other of darkness, the piece symbolises the battle between opposing forces within the self. The wolf that wins is the one we choose to feed.
"In every shadow, there's light — and in every light, a shadow."
Set in a stark and cinematic environment, the film follows a single protagonist who appears in three forms: the angel, the demon, and the self. These entities orbit, clash, and dance around one another — wrestling with dominance, acceptance, and transformation.
This work merges contemporary dance, digital animation, and symbolic performance, examining how we perform our inner selves in physical and digital spaces.
Commissioner: Coventry University
Concept, Choreography & Performer: Brooke Milliner
Concept, Film & Animation Director: Christian Bevilacqua
Scenographer: Ruby Law @ RULA
Director of Photography: Ian Murray
Digital Imaging Technician: Dragon Ajvazovic
Editor: Matt Gabzdyl
Music Proudction: Brooke Milliner
Costume Design: Rosalind Noctor
Producer: Emily Labhart
WINNER - Best Music/Dance film at the Top Shorts Film Festival
Selected for screening at the 2026 Denton Black Film Festival - Denton,Texas
Selected for screening at the Roma Short Film Festival 2025