Events

A fearless and moving documentary feature film, Dear Lara, from director and world-renowned violinist Lara St. John, makes its Vancouver premiere at The Cinematique Theatre on Sunday, June 7th, 2026.

St. John has performed and recorded internationally with orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Royal Philharmonic and has been featured in People, U.S. News and World Report, NPR’s All Things Considered, the BBC, CBC and CNN.

This deeply personal documentary exposes decades of sexual abuse and institutional complicity
in the classical music world and serves as a true call to action. Dear Lara is the directorial debut
from filmmaker St. John, with cinematography by St. John and Patrick Hamm (PBS POV:
“Who I Am Not,” “This Rain Will Never Stop”).

It was produced by Patrick Hamm, with co-producer Christie Herring (PBS: “The Campaign”; Hulu: “The Big Scary ‘S’ Word”),
consulting producer Christy McGill (“Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest,” “Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly”) and executive producer Stephen H. Judson.

The film was edited by Herring and features original music by St. John.