The art of love

Since 2009, the Seine-Saint-Denis County Council has been backing “la Culture et l’Art au Collège (CAC)”. This project is based to a large extent on the presence in class for several weeks (40h) of an artist or scientist whose mission is to engage the students in a process of research and creation. 

Tutors: Leila Ben Aribi/ film director, Julien Hilmoine/ filmmaker

Project managers: Anna Mezey and Florise Pagès

Objectives:
What if a filmmaker, with his arsenal of real or imaginary spaces, shot duration, off-camera effects and so on, could guide the pupils through the question: what does “love” mean? Is loving a person like loving a song, a country or a memory? The film project involves the pupils in discussions and scouting for locations, writing and looking at excerpts from films that translate loving into images.
In this project the pupils use digital tablets.

Workshops:
To love looking
The first part focused on what "loving" means. The class collected many definitions of love based on a wide range of sources: films, clips, reportages, etc. Comments during viewing were discussed in depth afterwards.

To love searching
The class then decided on a general direction and tried out several approaches: some groups chose fiction, others documentary film. Using the iPad as a camera, they explored the possibilities of filming an image, practised shots, camera angles, tried out film sets, compositions, movements, etc. With the filmmaker they learned that filming also means soft focus, off camera, suggestion, etc. They realised that it is not always easy to express an idea on film.

To love filming
After the preparatory work, the class tackled the scenario, preparation for filming and the shoot itself. Then they went on to the important editing stage, selecting the final footage, adding sound, and crafting the story. Each group shared the tasks among themselves.

Outcome:
On 26 May 2015, the films made by the three classes were shown at the L'Etoile cinema at La Courneuve. After the films, there was a discussion between the pupils and the two directors on the theme: should we keep loving the cinema?

Outings:
- LA CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE: TWO AND A HALF HOURS ON "LOVE TALK", VIEWING CULT FILMS SO THE PUPILS COULD ANALYSE GESTURES, DIALOGUE, SETTING, CAMERAWORK.
- FORUM DES IMAGES: COMPOSITION WORKSHOP USING THE EDITING TABLE SET UP BY THE GROUP MASH-UP.

Schools:
- Class (3rd SEGPA) Collège Théodore Monod, Gagny
- Class (4th SEGPA) Collège Georges Politzer, La Courneuve
- Class (5th 7) Collège Raymond Poincaré, La Courneuve