+ Queer Film Course
Impression from a drag workshop as a part of my + Queer Film course at the KABK in The Hague;
guest teacher: Lucian Squid (House of Løstbois)
guest teacher: Lucian Squid (House of Løstbois)
+ Queer Film is a hands-on filmmaking course. The + stands for broad inclusivity of both participants and audience. In this course, the students learn the basics of filmmaking while going in-depth with their own queerness.
With the help of reference material and plenty of film watching, the participants define what the term queer actually means to them. They bring in their own influences, discuss and learn from them in a collaborative setting.
We talk about boundaries and check-in on a regular basis.
There is also a workshop with a guest teacher in which the students learn how to infuse their alter egos through the art of drag.
After a dynamic process of conducting film exercises and learning how to film, students are matched into crews that produce a final film project. A crew shares a common goal, yet is able to benefit from individual impulses.
The finished projects are presented in a film festival-like setting. The participants have an opportunity to assemble their own relevant audience from the LGBTQIA+ community as well as allies from outside.
I also give the following workshops:
Fashion Fiction FILM
Alter Ego(S)
Party in the white cube
About my teaching
Tina Farifteh, The Flood (2021) - from the KABK graduation show
Photo: Charlotte Brand
Photo: Charlotte Brand
I have many years of experience as a teacher at art and design academy courses. At HKU Design (Utrecht), I taught students to produce fashion films. At the KABK (The Hague) I gave filmmaking courses across departments and tutored BA Photography students with their moving image installations.
Moving image is a medium which profits from a multidisciplinary approach. My courses are collaborative as everybody brings in their own talents and incorporate them into filmmaking. A temporary community comes into being. The students benefit from working together and form new alliances that might help them conquer the world after they leave school.
My teaching is a mixture of theory (watching and analysing film and video works) and practical assignments (through which the film elements that were analysed are covered). I also invite my students into bringing their visual fascinations and research into a peer-to-peer discussion.
I cover the basics of filmmaking so that the students gain a feel of the complexity of the medium. They learn the tools which help them grow as artists in moving image. From basic assignments we build towards more ambitious projects.
The ever present thread in my guidance is storytelling. For instance, we give life to a fashion collection by introducing characters and alter egos. By incorporating performance into the process, we stick to the 'show, not tell' principle. In this way, the work becomes relatable to an audience. There is also plenty of space for experimenting, while making sure the creative process stays focused with the aid of a step-by-step plan.