Tools for Cowards: Masterclass with Laura Taler

Join artist & filmmaker Laura Taler in a masterclass that traces the evolution of her practice. Bookended by her 1995 dancefilm classic the village trilogy and her genre-defying 2025 new work Matryoshka Crush, this 3-hour class will give participants a behind-the-scenes experience of experimental, movement-based filmmaking.

In the early 1990s, with no formal film training, Taler created the village trilogy. The film was shot and edited on 16mm film following a time-honored cinematic process with storyboards, shotlists, and an articulated scenario. For her latest film, Matryoshka Crush, Taler employed cinematic structures developed over years of filmmaking that allow for both precision and improvisation.

By using case studies of her films and video installations, Taler will lead the class through in-depth discussions about the production process, while sharing practical tools and tactics that help to communicate ideas to the collaborative team. Spatial considerations in installation and screening contexts will also be discussed. All artists are welcome. Performers, visual artists, dance artists, filmmakers, musicians, and anyone interested in movement, the camera, and installation.

PLEASE NOTE

This masterclass accompanies the August 10th screening of the village trilogy and Matryoshka Crush at the Revue Cinema. Masterclass participants will receive a special discount promo code to attend the screening, as the films will not be screened as part of this class. The program pairs the village trilogy, a poetic exploration of displacement and the search for home, with Matryoshka Crush, a darkly funny meditation on yearning, identity, and transformation. Together, these landmark films showcase a distinctive artistic voice that has resonated with audiences and critics for three decades. Link to August 10th Screening

Facilitator: Laura Taler

Duration: 180 Minutes

Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace - 16 Ryerson Ave

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