NSB Film School: Clandestine Cinema [at Skin and Bones]

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $225 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

Instructor: Victoria Bouloubasis | 3-Weeks | Sundays | November 15 - December 6 (No class Nov. 29) | 6:00-9:30 PM @ Skin & Bones

When a story needs to be shared with the world, filmmakers will stop at nothing. Take Jafar Panahi, the director under house arrest in Iran whose film (which he made illegally with filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb) was smuggled to Cannes on a flash drive in 2011. Or the 2004 case of French police finding a fully equipped, literally-underground cinema in the catacombs in Paris (complete with a restaurant and bar), where stacks of film noir classics were topped with a note: Do Not Search.

In this course, we’ll explore the definition of Clandestine Cinema through monumental moments of cinematic history: from guerrilla film screenings in prohibited environments to films that take on huge risks to be made. We’ll watch illegally-made films shot in countries under occupation or in places where dictatorships restrict artists. Examples may include: The Hour of the Furnaces (1968, Argentina), about the post-World War II struggle against neo-colonialism; Chess of the Wind (1976), Taxi Tehran (2015) and This is Not a Film (2011), all made in secret in Iran; and From Ground Zero (2024), a collection of shorts from Gaza pulled from Cannes for its "politics." These films reflect challenging political climates while commenting on filmmaking as a practice, an art, and a necessary medium for the historical record: as an act of preservation and proof of communities and cultures that have been suppressed.

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The Fine Print:

Gift certificates may only be redeemed at the full tuition tier.

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income. 

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.