Analyze SHOT by SHOT John Cassavetes’ film ‘A Woman Under the Influence’ – relate it to R D Laing’s texts – ‘Knots’ and ‘Do you love me?’ Adapt Laing’s incredible, universal dialogue scenarios to your context, in your own language and style… Make your own film – with none other than Kamal Swaroop !
ONLINE
SCHEDULE:
- Unit 1 : 12 to 20 Feb 2022 : Analysis of Film and Text
- Unit 2 : 26-27 Feb; 05-06; 12-13 Mar : Dialogue Exercise
- Unit 3 : Self Paced : Make a Film
Online Session Timings : 02:30 to 06:30pm IST

OVERVIEW
The masterclass is one of a kind plunge into a web of human interactions, identifying patterns, exploring the politics of the interpersonal and transpersonal as constructed in cinema.
The masterclass’s design is based on the confluence of 3 great auteurs : John Cassavettes, R D Laing and Kamal Swaroop – wherein Kamal Swaroop will deconstruct shot by shot John Cassavetes film, ‘A woman under the influence’ and relate the film to the texts of R D Laing’s two books ‘Knots’ and ‘Do you Love me?”

While exploring the relationship between the text and the film, a dialogue exercise will be born. Dialogue – an exchange of words charged with meaning and emotions… In dialogues are locked the patterns of human bonds. An entire situational world can be built around what transpires between two people in words and in silences between the words. While deconstructing the relation between Cassavetes’ film and Laing’s text, Kamal Swaroop will take the participants through a construction of dialogues with archetypal characters influencing participants’ own worlds. With this dialogue exercise, with each participant a film will be born.
Kamal Swaroop will mentor the participants through the drafting of their script (a short film script) to its production into a short film.
Please note that analysis of film and text goes parallel to self analysis and introspection. The idea is to be able to identify our existential concerns or relationship patterns that intrigue us and give them a cinematic release. The idea also is to gain command over the language of cinema by constructing a good dialogue. Once a good dialogue is in place, mise-en-scenes can be constructed around it.
To know more and register :
http://filminstitute.auroville.org/2022/01/19/knots-kamalswaroop/