The start of a new year and a new semester is the perfect time to pick up a new skill.
For those looking to delve into the artistic world, the Agnes is hosting its Open Secret series throughout this semester—free workshops in which attendees can explore different creative perspectives in film.
The Journal will be running through the full list of workshops on offer this semester, which promise to challenge and promote artistic curiosity in attending students.
Parastoo Anoushahpour
The first workshop of the year, running on. Jan. 20, from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., will be hosted by Iranian Canadian filmmaker Parastoo Anoushahpour.
The workshop will follow the screening of Anoushahpour’s film The Time That Separates Us on Jan. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. The film blends the biblical story of Lot’s wife with the contemporary strife facing the Jordan River Valley.
Although the workshop will centre upon discussions of Anoushahpour’s film and the filmmaking process, attendees are encouraged to sharetheir own ideas and engage with mechanics within The TimeThat Separates Us and apply them to their projects.
Kriss Li
The next workshop will be led by Kriss Li, a Chinese Canadian multimedia artist. The workshop will be held on Feb. 9 from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., the day after a screening of Li’s films on February 9 from to 8 p.m.
Li’s work is informed by their involvement with the Prisoner Correspondence Project, an initiative linking LGBTQ+ prisoners in Canada and the United States. Li seeks to examine hierarchies of power within their work, revealing the weaknesses in our established systems and renegotiating a better path forward.
Sharlene Bamboat
Montreal-based filmmaker Sharlene Bamboat will be hosting a screening and talk of her film From Every Tongue It Drips on March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The film is a planet-wide exploration of identity, spanning Montreal, Batticaloa, and the Isle of Skye, centred upon
the relationship between two queer women. The film examines themes on a personal and cosmic scale, interrogating the divide between the two and revealing connections.
Bamboat is a frequent collaborator with artists, musicians, and writers. Her workshop, held on March 10 from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., will provide aspiring artists with the tools necessary to build a framework that allows positive collaboration.
Sofía Gallisá Murient
The final talk and screening of the Open Secret Series will be held on April 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. and
will focus on Sofía Gallisá Muriente’s film Celaje. The film combines an array of film techniques to recount the colonial history of Puerto Rico and the connection between climate and memory.
Muriente’s workshop will be held on April 7 from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m. It promises to provide insights into the link between nature and impermanence and the importance of both in forming new, exciting images. Students will engage with their historical narrative and use it to inform their work.
It’s always better to walk away from watching a film with knowledge instead of a crinkled bag of M&Ms and an empty soda.The Open Secret Series will allow students to viewincredible pieces of art and incorporate their techniques in personal projects.
Fun and learning await—and you don’t need to miss out on the popcorn.
More info can be found by visiting the Agnes’s website.
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