In this special master class, acclaimed Canadian documentarian, John Walker will present his views on genre, his approach to working with historical material within both dramatic and documentary structures that resists recreation, and how he broke both fiction and non-fiction ideas apart to create the stunning, innovative and provocative work that is Passage. Walker will review the process of making Passage from its original proposal to the aesthetic choices that resulted in casting actors to present historical facts in a documentary feature, and his unique twist on those facts.
As filmmakers push the boundaries of genre and form, documentary hybrids and feature documentaries that borrow and adapt, bend and remake the notion of non-fiction filmmaking have emerged. From Guy Maddin's docu-fantasia "My Winnipeg", to John Greyson's documentary opera "Fig Trees", hybrid documentaries are increasingly popular with directors and audiences alike. John Walker's film "Passage",a documentary about British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men who perished in the Arctic ice during an ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest Passage, is among this new form.
Participants will gain insight on his creative development and look at ways of transforming documentary practices into innovative and hybrid works of art.
ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE
- Date/time: Sat Feb 6 (12PM - 3PM)
- Fee: $25/members | $40/non-members (can pay at the door)
- Instructor: John Walker
- Location: Cinematheque, 100 Arthur Street, in the Exchange District
For more information on workshops, please contact the Training & Outreach Programs Coordinator at 925-3450 or darcy@winnipegfilmgroup.com
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
A pioneering documentary cinematographer and filmmaker, John Walker began working as cinematographer for Crawley Films in 1975. Over the years, he has worked on a superb body of work beginning with his first film, the multiple award-winning, Chambers: Tracks and Gestures (about Canadian artist, Jack Chambers), produced by Atlantis Films in 1981. The following year, his passionate commitment to the documentary form led him to co-found the Canadian Independent Film Caucus (now the Documentary Organization of Canada). Walker has credits on more than sixty films as producer, director or cinematographer, many of which have received international acclaim and have been widely broadcast and screened at many of the world's major film festivals. (Film Reference Library)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The Winnipeg Film Group gratefully acknowledges the partnership of DOC Winnipeg for this Master Series workshop.
