The Many Faces (84 min.) was filmed shortly after Emilie Conrad’s passing. These raw, personal narratives offer a window into the heart of her work, her teaching, her personality and her vision.

In The Many Faces, a portrait of a visionary teacher emerges from intimate interviews with people whose lives she deeply touched. Filmed shortly after her passing, these raw, personal narratives offer a window into the heart of Emilie Conrad’s work, her teaching, her personality and her vision.

Founder of the somatic movement practice Continuum, Emilie had the amazing ability to meet each of her students with profound attentiveness, offering them a level of engagement and care that made them feel deeply seen. In this sense, each person interviewed saw a different Emilie; they saw the side of her that was offered in relationship to themselves. Through the layered contrasts of each narrative, filmmaker Hanna Heiting offers us a textured, holistic impression of who Emile was, one that reaches far beyond the words of each person.

There is a palpable resonance to the film; through the words and gestures of those profoundly moved by her, it transmits an echo of Emilie’s teaching. While the voices are distinct and individual, they share a common ground: a stillness, an internal quiet, and a self-possessed presence. In watching, we come to understand that this was a quality cultivated through their immersion in Continuum. This presence is also carried in the artistry of the film itself, and it brings the viewer into this same experience.

Emma Destrubé,
Continuum teacher, acupuncturist, artist