Everyone wants to be Toto from Cinema Paradiso and this could be your moment.

Projecting film is an art, and a projectionist the artist. In our celluloid based practice, we take this rather seriously, with the projector and the medium occupying as much importance as the film work itself. Projectionists have been working behind the scenes for as long as people have viewed films on a big screen. Here is your chance to go behind the scenes, get your hands on one, learn the best practices of handling the medium and the nuts and bolts of projectors. 

A projector is a beautifully complex piece of equipment, rare to witness, with almost none in operation. But we’re blessed to have a few working ones and being one of the only spaces in the country to still be screening from film prints. It’s knowledge that you probably can’t apply anywhere else, but what it will give you is a deeper understanding in how moving images work, the magic of it all, its origins and inherent tangibility. 

We’ll take you through the entire chain on how to prep a film for screening, splicing, threading, how optical sound works, and ending with all the good wisdom a projectionist must have. A love for film is a good start point.

The Harkat Lab is supported by The Gujral Foundation. 

Date: Saturday, August 18, 2021

Time: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Note: This is an in-person workshop at Harkat Studios.

*Participants are invited to bring in their own celluloid films as well, if they wish to see them projected.