Sublimating characters, transforming them into fantastic creatures, ageing them, simulating wounds or sores: the art of make-up and special effects is rich. The students conceptualised the make-up and special effects for several film scenes, learning the techniques for creating and applying prostheses. The workshop was led by Véronique Jaggi, one of Switzerland’s leading specialists in make-up for film, theatre, opera and television. She has worked on Maxime Rappaz’s film Laissez-moi and the series Les indociles, Délits mineurs, Hors saison, Bulle and Anomalia.

On his European tour, director and photographer Khalik Allah (USA/Jamaica) came to HEAD to give a week-long filmmaking workshop entitled The Intangible to HEAD Bachelor’s and Master’s students. The students made portraits of people in the streets of Geneva. Khalik Allah, whose work has been described as a visceral, hauntingly beautiful and penetrating ‘street opera’, has worked as a photographer for Wu-Tang Clan and co-directed music videos for Beyoncé. He creates portraits that touch on a certain intimacy with the people whose stories he records. His films Field Niggas (2015), Black Mother (2018) and IWOW: I Walk on Water (2020) have been shown at numerous festivals and will also be screened on 21 March 2024 at the Cinéma Royal in Sainte-Croix and the Cinématographe in Lausanne. HEAD students worked with the filmmaker to take portraits of strangers they met on the streets of Geneva.