To Trust
A participatory film research project by Anton Mirto.
Is vulnerability the last thing I want you to see in me, but the first thing I look for in you?
Between June and August 2024, twenty-seven people aged 20–80 came together for six workshops to explore ideas surrounding trust, vulnerability, protection, and letting go.
The process served as research for Mirto's first venture into film, entering the work with no preconceptions of how, what, or with whom. Guided by imagination, impulse and movement, participants worked with cardboard armour, body-bound cameras and hand-held lights to map "shadow" aspects of their Selves.
Where the light gets in
By engaging with forgotten or hidden aspects of their histories, participants shined a light (literally and metaphorically) on themselves and each other in a shared experience of recognition, being seen and validation.
Four filmmakers: Silke Beller, Cécile Embleton, Oddlys Salcido, and graduate Ella Silk Duman, joined this cinematic inquiry as workshop participants, responding to what emerged in real time, capturing embodied ‘exposure’ as it unfolded in the room.
The final thirty minutes of each workshop were filmed to preserve rough cuts and sketch moments, acting as a space to see which filmmakers and participants Mirto would eventually collaborate with.
As the process deepened, two participants, Audrey Joseph and Tamar Swade began to stand out. One had engaged in Mirto's previous workshops; the other had been an audience member of Anton’s work. There was something so compelling and tender about the interaction of these two women that Mirto invited to meet and film them outside the collective space. From this encounter, a new long-term film project working with Cécile Embleton called Audrey & Tamar, was born.
Participant’s experience of the work:
“I realised that I’d never had a black hand on my hand, so close. It made me feel racist… but then I don’t have white hands so close to my hand either.”
“The workshop helped me see neglected aspects of my body & personality…. like a big mirror you can’t avoid …”
“Anton, it's an awesome experience to work with you. I was really surprised with how I felt today.”
“Fabulous, highly original, very creative & incredibly helpful…a great way to understand oneself & learn a new way to look at things.”
“The sessions have been a magical eye opening, in a very gentle way. Throughout this workshop; I felt a breeze in my voice. Wow. So revelatory & powerful! “