‘Video is a part of theatre’

Chiara Crupi is visiting India for the first time and she is clearly excited about it. The filmmaker, based in Italy and Denmark, has worked with different companies directing live multimedia events, creating multimedia projects, documentaries, short films, promotionals, theatre performances and so on. She will be conducting workshops in filmmaking for theatre in Mumbai. She says that her knowledge of Indian films and theatre comes from university studies. “I have seen the work of some groups who study Indian traditional dances in Italy, and I have also seen some Indian performances in Denmark. But I don’t know the practical scenario of theatre and films in India today. I would like to know more,” she says. Chiara tells us more about the workshops she is going to conduct...

What do you plan to do at the workshops? 

The aim is to have an overview and to discover the basic rules of filming theatre/live performance. The one-day workshop which will be held tomorrow will talk about shooting movement, editing and live performance shooting. Participants will have the chance to work on a small task as filmmakers, from the beginning to the end of the process. The workshop is for students, artistes and filmmakers interested in the techniques of filming within the context of live performances.

The three-day workshop will include a brief introductory phase using examples from films of performances by Odin Teatret founded by the stalwart theatre director Eugenio Barba and others; filming examples and training with camera; short experiments of editing and montage using archival material and/or documentation produced during the workshop.

Why is there a need for a workshop like this? 

Everybody used to say that theatre and video are different and incompatible worlds. But nowadays, every theatre group has to use the film media not only to share their work, for publicity, to participate in festivals, for artistic purposes but also to preserve their performances. I think it is the moment to accept that the video is a part of theatre work and to understand deeply the relationship and the connection between these two different languages. Having worked at Odin Teatret, a big and historically important theatre group which founded Odin Teatret Films and has made videos and films on theatre from 1996, of course I start my reflection from this personal and extraordinary experience.

How is filmmaking for theatre or live performances different from filmmaking in general?

Every filmmaker should ask himself why she or he is making a film. I think that the answer to this question can help to define the differences. Of course, the tools are the same or similar. But it might not be the same craft. If the goal is different consequently, there are rules and a different way to think, the way to shoot is very different…your work, your professional behaviour is connected to a theatrical vision. Your rules are connected with the perception of a theatrical audience.

The one-day workshop, will be held tomorrow at Harkat Studios, Versova and the three-day workshop will be held from March 12-14 at The Cuckoo Club, Bandra.