the Cooper Union School of Art Interdisciplinary Seminar

Tom Kalin

Fiction / Nonfiction

This lecture took place on March 2nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm in the Wollman Auditorium at the Cooper Union

Lecture introduction

Filmmaker Tom Kalin will discuss the tension between fact and fiction in his nonfiction narratives, Swoon, I Shot Andy Warhol and Savage Grace.  Inspired by three notorious American crimes, these films test the boundaries between psychology and behavior; public and private identity; documentary fact and dramatic truth.  In these features and in his experimental video work, Kalin explores (among other things) the evolution of copyright law and cultural notions of authenticity.

About Tom Kalin

From short experimental videos to feature-length narrative films, Tom Kalin’s critically acclaimed work has been screened throughout the world.  His debut feature, Swoon, was awarded Best Cinematography at Sundance, the Caligari Prize at Berlin, the Open Palm at the Gotham Awards and the Fipresci Prize in Stockholm.  His work is in the permanent collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou and MoMA.  His recent film, Savage Grace, premiered at the 2007 Quinzaine des Realisateurs in Cannes and was named one of the top ten films of 2008 in Artforum and Paper. As a producer his films include I Shot Andy Warhol and Go Fish.  He has been a faculty member of Columbia University’s Film Program since 1996.

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