Floeur Alder. Photo by Djilba Photographer Michael Juliff.

A moving new Western Australian documentary, Pointe, is set to captivate audiences with its intimate and unflinching portrait of acclaimed dancer and choreographer Floeur Alder — daughter of ballet luminaries Lucette Aldous and Alan Alder — as she confronts trauma, family legacy, and the redemptive power of dance.

At just 22 years old, on the cusp of an international ballet career, Floeur Alder was the victim of a random, near-fatal knife attack outside her Perth home. While her physical wounds eventually healed, the psychological scars ran deep — stirring painful memories and forcing a reckoning with her past, her future, and the shadows cast by her renowned parents.

Directed with sensitivity and grace, Pointe traces Floeur’s courageous journey of recovery from PTSD as she turns to dance – not only to reclaim her body, but to rediscover her voice and identity. From choreographing Rare Earth alongside her ageing parents, to creating a raw and powerful new work in France inspired by Carmen, Floeur uses movement to process grief, rage and hope.

In a defining moment, Floeur returns to the stage at His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth, performing the emotionally charged piece born from her experience — receiving a standing ovation and stepping into her own legacy.

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Pointe is more than a dance film. It is a poetic exploration of resilience and identity, framed by universal themes of family, violence against women, and trauma recovery. Rich with rare archival footage, rare glimpses into the rehearsal studios of dance icons, and haunting original choreography, Pointe offers a deeply personal lens into an extraordinary life shaped by both tragedy and triumph.

Featuring appearances and support from legendary figures such as Chrissie Parrott, David McAllister, Dame Monica Mason, Dame Gillian Lynne, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev and Robert Bestonso of the Paris Opera, the film also honours the global ballet community that helped lift Floeur in her darkest moments.

Produced and directed by Dawn Jackson in her debut feature, Pointe is a story of survival, self-discovery and the enduring strength of creative expression.

Pointe received support from Screenwest and Lotterywest through the inaugural Brian Beaton Award, and from Screen Australia via the Producer Equity Program. The majority of the film’s funding was secured through philanthropic donations, with additional support provided via the Australian Cultural Fund, including matched funding through the ACF Boost Program.

Pointe will premiere at CinefestOZ in Busselton on Sunday 31 August with a Perth premiere at The Windsor Cinema on Thursday 11 September.

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