José Luis Guerín at National Gallery of Art

The Academy of Muses, the latest film from eclectic Spanish filmmaker José Luis Guerin, will be screened at National Gallery of Art preceded by his short film, Le Saphir de Saint-Louis.

Catalan director José Luis Guerín (In the City of Sylvia) appealingly combines narrative and nonfiction in new ways, creating evocative works that both enlighten and entice. For his latest film, the fictional documentary The Academy of Muses, Guerín collaborated with Barcelona literature professor Raffaele Pinto and a group of actresses (playing Pinto’s students) to stage a class in literary criticism. Together, they debate the role of the muse. The plot develops, the professor slowly becomes part of the women’s lives, and, at random moments, cut-away segments tell personal tales and fanciful fables.

The Academy of Muses

• Preceded by Le Saphir de Saint-Louis, 2015.
• Directed by José Luis Guerín, Spain, 2015, 92 minutes.
• In Spanish with English subtitles.

When he returns from teaching class, a professor of philology is interrogated by his wife, who distrusts his pedagogical approach, and his Academy of the Muses which, inspired by classical references, is intended to regenerate the world through poetry. This controversial project sets off a series of situations dominated by language and desire.