The portrait has a storied history in visual art, but how does this art form carry over into movies?
In this four-week class, we’ll watch some of the great works of film portraiture–from Agnes Varda’s playful collaborations with Jane Birkin to a close study of soccer player Zinédine Zidane–and collaborate on a working definition of a “portrait film.” Along the way, we’ll explore the gaze, the politics of representation, the artist-subject relationship, unconventional storytelling modes, and what a portrait reveals versus what it leaves out.
Films:
3/5: JANE B. BY AGNES V. (1988, 105 min)
3/12: PORTRAIT OF JASON (1967, 105 min)
3/19: SHORTRAITS: A selection of shorts from the International Portrait Film Festival. This class is presented in collaboration with the IPFF.
3/26: ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT (2006, 90min)
This class is taught by MMU Instructor Anna Weltner, whose previous classes include The Wonders and Bellissima.
Each class will begin with a short lecture, followed by a screening of the film(s), after which an instructor-led discussion will take place.
Class size will be limited to 18.
Email us at education@moviemadness.org if you have any questions.
In general, the Hollywood Theatre does not provide content advisories about the subject matter shown in our theatre. Films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Hollywood Theatre. Information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media and DoesTheDogDie.com.