Launching today: Tehachapi, a film showcasing how the power of art can enable human transformation, from renowned French artist JR

SAN FRANCISCO, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best, today launched the first of a limited, three-part collection of documentaries. In addition to its classes, these hand-picked, full-length feature films will help viewers think differently and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. The MasterClass documentaries collection includes Tehachapi (available now), The Cowboy and the Queen and Diane Warren: Relentless. All documentaries will be available to stream exclusively on MasterClass.

Learn with a new lens
MasterClass continues to meet its members where they are by providing a variety of flexible content formats—from 30-minute shows like the Original Series G.O.A.T. to episodic classes like Brain Health and now with its limited, three-part collection of documentaries. The documentaries offer viewers an experiential way to learn through memorable characters and great storytelling that will take them on journeys of discovery and inspiration. MasterClass members will get a peek into the inner lives of exceptional individuals, witnessing their process firsthand and gaining lessons for life. The documentaries also provide lessons in real-world contexts to deepen the learnings, making it easier for viewers to apply new approaches, delivering positive impact to their lives.

Lessons in redemption, rehabilitation and second chances
The first film in MasterClass's limited, three-part collection of documentaries is Tehachapi. Following renowned French artist JR's collaborative art project at one of California's most violent maximum-security prisons, audiences will expand their worldview—and experience new hope—as they discover the unlimited potential for human change. Tehachapi tells the story of redemption and transformation, closely following the journey of a group of 28 incarcerated men, many of whom were serving long-term sentences for crimes they committed as minors. The film illustrates how art inspires self-respect, hope and for some a path back to society. Driving home that impossible change is indeed possible, Tehachapi is more than a story—it's a lesson that will shift viewers' perspective, challenge assumptions and change the way they live.

Tehachapi, directed by JR, is an official selection at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Copenhagen Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival and is now exclusively available on MasterClass.

Upcoming documentaries: 

• The Cowboy and the Queen chronicles the life of horse whisperer Monty Roberts, a California horse trainer whose nonviolent techniques are a lesson in leading with empathy, trusting your values and doing the next right thing. His compassionate approach defied all odds and never would have seen the light of day if it weren't for his unlikely friendship with Queen Elizabeth II, a kindred spirit whose endorsement of Monty's process popularized his methods worldwide. Through this touching examination of a deep and abiding friendship bridging two completely different worlds, viewers will be inspired to challenge convention by tapping into compassion as the key to navigating a divided world. The Cowboy and the Queen, directed by Andrea Nevins, received a nomination for the Humanitas Prize 2024 in the documentary category and is an official selection at DocNYC, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Berkshire International Film Festival (Jury Award), Boulder International Film Festival (Impact Award) and Sedona International Film Festival (Indie Spirit Award). The film will be available to stream exclusively on MasterClass this fall.
• Diane Warren: Relentless provides an intimate, rarely seen look at the life, career and creative process of one of the most accomplished songwriters of all time. Viewers will be immersed in Diane's unconventional life, underdog journey and sense of humor while getting a close-up view into what it takes to become a hit songwriter. Audiences will be inspired to rethink their capabilities and tackle life's challenges through Diane's story of resilience, grit and creativity. Diane Warren: Relentless, directed by Bess Kargman, premiered at SXSW 2024 and is an official selection at the Nashville Film Festival and Hamptons International Film Festival. The film will be available to stream exclusively on MasterClass this winter.

Embed & view the trailer for Tehachapi here: https://youtu.be/uv6rWvetqHc 

Download stills for Tehachapi here: https://classlaunch.masterclass.com/dam/spaces/c70ff1e0dcee4b0e81643c24153276ce
Credit: Courtesy of MasterClass

ABOUT MASTERCLASS:
MasterClass is the streaming platform that provides the insights, tools and lived experiences of the world's best so you can become your best. In as little as 10 minutes, you can gain new skills that can be applied immediately. With an annual membership, you get unlimited access to 200+ instructors and classes through flexible formats for any way you like to learn. Shift the way you see and experience the world through a wide range of subjects, including business and leadership, writing, cooking, acting, sports and more. Cook with Gordon Ramsay. Write with Shonda Rhimes. Get negotiation tactics from Chris Voss. Learn how to navigate relationships with Esther Perel or make bold choices with Samuel L. Jackson. Original Series provides a new way to learn through quick, highly engaging episodic stories designed to change the way members see the world. With MasterClass at Work, companies can develop durable skills that transform employees into future-ready leaders through cinematic lessons and life-changing stories taught by the world's best. Each MasterClass offering is available at home or on the go on mobile, tablet, desktop, Apple TV®, Android™TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku® players and devices.

ABOUT JR:
Renowned French artist JR creates monumental public art projects that inspire passersby to ask questions and confront their own perceptions. After his first major project, Portrait of a Generation (2004-06), which challenged stereotypes of Parisian suburban youth, he began working internationally. Whether it be pasting the faces of Israeli and Palestinian people on both sides of the Separation Wall (2007), the eyes of women on train cars in Kibera, Kenya (2009), or a giant toddler peeking over the U.S.-Mexico border fence (2017), JR's larger-than-life installations amplify the stories of everyday people and inspire dialogue.

From creating a trompe-l'oeil at the Louvre with 400 volunteers (2019) to pasting alongside incarcerated men in a California maximum-security prison (2019-22), he seeks to involve everyone in the act of artistic creation, hoping to create conversations and drive social change. As of January 2024, his global participatory art project Inside Out has empowered more than half a million people to stand up for what they believe in through large-scale black-and-white portraits.

A multimedia artist at his core, JR boasts a range of accomplishments, including a performance with 154 dancers on 30-meter-high scaffolding on the Palais Garnier in Paris (2023), the Academy Award–nominated documentary Faces, Places codirected with Agnés Varda (2017), and a video mural exploring the issue of guns in the USA featured on the cover of Time magazine (2018). JR also has a rigorous studio practice, creating gallery artworks that are exhibited internationally. He has had major retrospectives at the Brooklyn Museum (2019) and Maison Européenne de la Photographie (2018) as well as shown artworks and installations at the Venice Biennale (2022), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (2019) and the NGV Triennial (2020).

Media Contact:
Tawnya Bear, MasterClass
press@masterclass.com

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