An actor plays the part of a teacher giving Italian lessons to a class of immigrants – both in real life and on film – who want to learn Italian in order to gain the necessary papers and integrate into Italian society. From across the globe, from Bangladesh to Ukraine, they bring to the classroom their own experiences and personal stories, some humorous and some heartbreaking.
During shooting something happens, and from this point onwards reality takes hold. When the director stops the action, the whole crew comes into play, stepping in front of the camera. Now each person acts out a real story in a single ‘true fictional’ film: My Class.
Set entirely within the confines of one Italian classroom, La Mia Classe advocates a global humanity, bridging cultural differences worldwide.
Showing with: Your Views | Gillian Wearing I UK I 2013 I 3min
A collection of snapshots of views from people’s homes, submitted to the artist through an open callout by members of the public from as near as Edinburgh and as far as Buenos Aires and Shenzhen. Starting with a closed curtain, the view is revealed as if on a stage or at a cinema.
