The Class About the Class: New Works By Caveh Zahedi
The cult favourite filmmaker joins us for four works-in-progress made with his students at The New School.
On August 27th and 28th at Paradise Theatre, Bleeding Edge is proud to present four rarely-seen films by iconoclastic filmmaker Caveh Zahedi.
In his “day job” as an instructor at The New School in New York City, Zahedi has taught four experimental seminars with the goal of producing a web series. The subject matter? In typical, self-reflexive Zahedi fashion, it’s a web series about the making of the web series. Titled Higher Education, Zahedi’s students point the cameras at themselves (and their teacher) for an fascinating portrait of creative and interpersonal conflict in a college classroom, as complaints are made and jobs are threatened, and the students are encouraged to speak with honestly — and sometimes brutal honesty — about their teacher and their fellow students. As with many Zahedi projects, you may find yourself asking the same question Lena Dunham (Zahedi’s former babysitter) once did: “You’re allowed to do that?”
In the fourth and final film of this selection, How to Overthrow the US Government (Legally), Zahedi’s class is joined by activist and comedian Jacques Servin of The Yes Men, with a focus on (legal) political participation in an increasingly dangerous times we live in.
We invite you to watch these four films, all of which are works-in-progress, with us at Paradise Theatre, along with two Q & As. The first Q & A on August 27 will be moderated by filmmaker Matt Johnson (Blackberry, Nirvanna the Band the Show) while the second Q & A will be moderated by programmer Natalia Orasanin (K-FAB).
Tickets are available HERE, individually or as part of evening or two-night packages, but we highly recommend watching these films together, as they represent a singular artistic project.
This event is generously supported by Istic Illic Pictures. Zahedi will be in attendance for all four screenings and present for a Q & A at the end of each night.
Schedule:
August 27
6:30: Higher Education 1 (60 minutes)
8:30: Higher Education 2 (120 minutes)
10:30: Q & A with Caveh Zahedi and filmmaker Matt Johnson
August 28
6:30: Higher Education 3 (90 minutes)
8:30: How to Overthrow the US Government (Legally) (90 minutes)
10:00: Q & A with Caveh Zahedi and programmer Natalia Orasanin