Today I woke up real' early (actually, I didn't sleep much last night) and took a train to Cluj. But here's the thing: I wasn't sure it was okay for me to stay for the class, since I'm not a film student. Luckily, it was okay. I felt like an intruder pretty much the whole time, but I'm glad I went.
The masterclass given by the Mexican director Eduardo Lucatero was part of Les Journées du Film Francophone: Spécial Québec, where Lucatero presents his Canadian documentary, Les Vivants.
For the film students at Sapientia University, Lucatero had a number of tips on finding a story, writing the screenplay, working with actors, shooting, and finding (financial) resources. His talk might not have brought any new information, yet I still found it valuable. It was the type of "go write your story! go film it!" type of motivational talk, and from time to time one needs just that. Hell, I myself felt motivated by it. I avoid writing film criticism (because I haven't seen enough films, because I haven't read enough film books, etc. etc.), but ultimately, I just need to write something. Anything.
Later on, Lucatero demonstrated with excerpts from two of his own films, which was the part of the masterclass I found quite useful. There are a few technicalities which, when exemplified like that, are much easier to remember. And really, this is the main reason for which I wanted to attend a film masterclass. I need to learn the technicalities of the filmmaking process. As Porumboiu once pointed out, there are too many reviewers out there who don't write film reviews. They write high school literary analyses. I mean, don't get me wrong - I don't think a review should be full of technicalities that only filmmakers will get, but you do need to mention a few details. You can't write reviews that are all summary (summary?! what am I talking about? I have read "reviews" that describe the entire film, scene by scene; I've often wondered: what do these ppl do? do they take notes during the whole film or is their memory that good?) , make zero film references and call that film criticism. Anyways, the two films:
Les Vivants is a documentary shot in Montreal, Canada about people who dedicate their working lives to Thanatos. You can see it tomorrow, at Victoria, at 8 p.m. (Unfortunately, I later realized I can't use my invitation - I depend on mersultrenurilor and 8 p.m. is a little too late for me. The first time I get an invitation to a film screening, and I can't use it, ufa.)
(I'll have to admit I did feel kinda lame when Lucatero said the first comparisons ppl make are to Six Feet Under and Okuribito/ Departures because Six Feet Under was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the trailer.)
Technical details: shot in widescreen (which, apparently, is an unusual choice for a documentary).
Les Vivants (Eduardo Lucatero, 2011)
Preludio is not the film to which YouTube directed me when I searched "preludio trailer", and thank god for that. Preludio is carried by two characters, which is a type of film Lucatero suggested was risky - in terms of audience response, I guess. But we all know there are quite a few films with only two characters that work wonderfully. (Abed knows what I'm talking about.)
Technical details: filmed in one shot, with a Red camera.
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| Preludio (Eduardo Lucatero, 2010) (source: mubi.com) |
What you (you, accidental reader) need to remember from this all-over-the-place post is this: if you have the chance to go to a masterclass on film or to screenings followed by a Q&A, go! I'll probably hate you for it, but go (I'm not immune to fomo, on the contrary). Just don't be selfish and remember to post a few notes online so that those less fortunate, like myself, at least know what we've missed.
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