M. Leander Kalil is an interdisciplinary artist whose work with text, sound, figure, space, and image constellates in projects for screen and stage.
His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and PRIM Centre. He studied Philosophy at The New School and Architecture at The University of Toronto. He lives in Montréal.
*Please excuse the inconsistencies on this site; it is currently being renovated.
Water Tricks
short film
2027
2027
An exiled princess goes blind after recieving a mysterious mirror as a birthday gift from her suitor.
Supported by Canada Council for the Arts, PRIM Centre
Currently in post-production
Currently in post-production
Four Apples
short opera
2026
2026
After recalling a strange medieval dream, an insomniac realizes he must have finally gotten some sleep.
21 and 22 November
Salle Paul-Buissonneau
Centre Calixa-Lavallée
Montréal
21 and 22 November
Salle Paul-Buissonneau
Centre Calixa-Lavallée
Montréal
Florentine
short semi-opera
2026
2026
After recalling a strange medieval dream, an insomniac realizes he must have finally gotten some sleep.
8 and 9 August 2026
Théâtre VME
Montréal
8 and 9 August 2026
Théâtre VME
Montréal
Release of a Bodily Fluid
essay
2026
2026
A reflection on jokes and laughter.
Published in print in Dispatches 06
Four Rooms
Prints for an installation.
2025
linocut
linocut
Beach House
2024
architecture
architecture
Reclined female
Clay figure.
2024
sculpture
sculpture
Two male torsos
Clay figures.
2024
sculpture
sculpture
Counter 1
A surface for a kitchen.
2024
design
furniture
design
furniture
Playing with Openings
An exploration of the phenomenon of “composition”.
2024
essay
essay
Several Figures
A bath scene.
2022
sculpture
sculpture
Chambre Pieces
The photograph to the left, taken at Villa D’Este in Tivoli, is one of the forty 35mm prints treated with analog tricks in Chambre Pieces, a short film taking its viewers on a tour of a mysterious complex.
2020
short film
photography
short film
photography
Chamber Music
This three-act short opera follows the intertwining lives of a dying matron of a sanitorium, her foundling son, a dejected king, and his puckish augur.
2019
opera
architecture
opera
architecture
Civilisation Cycle
A series of prints; figures at play among walls, stairs, portals, and plants.
2015
linocut
painting
linocut
painting
Water Tricks
2026
Water Tricks is a short narrative fiction film observing the 34th, 35th, and 36th birthdays of an exiled princess who is mysteriously going blind.
It was shot on 16mm colour stock in July 2025, and is currently in post-production and scheduled for release Fall 2026.
This project is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.
It was realized with the support of the Aide de la création program of PRIM.
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Writer, composer, director, producer
m. Leander Kalil
Cast
Olivia Norrmén-Smith
Matias Contal
Dara Najmabadi
Rosalind Jay
Simon Petepiece
Nellie Jalal-Zadeh
David Switchenko
Mehdi Latifian
Director of photography
William Albu
Production designers
M. Leander Kalil
Angela Cho
Art director
Angela Cho
Costume designer
Sophie Edell
Script consultants
Olivia Norrmén-Smith & Przemek Piwek
Production managers
Max Holzberg
Camille Lavallée-Prairie
First assistant director
Gabrielle Écuyer
Prop master
Katrina Jurjans
Script supervisor
Sophie Edell
Gaffer
Pascale Dulude-de Broin
Key grip
Hugo Roy
Swing
Tristain Alain
Sound recordist
Giulio Trejo Martinez
Boom operator
Paloma Daris-Bécotte
Post production Supervisor
Max Holzberg
Executive producers
Angela Cho
Alana Friend-Lettner
Production consultant
Joyce Joumaa
Location manager
Kim Kalil
Catering
Kim Kalil
Greg Kalil
It was shot on 16mm colour stock in July 2025, and is currently in post-production and scheduled for release Fall 2026.
This project is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.
It was realized with the support of the Aide de la création program of PRIM.
Writer, composer, director, producer
m. Leander Kalil
Cast
Olivia Norrmén-Smith
Matias Contal
Dara Najmabadi
Rosalind Jay
Simon Petepiece
Nellie Jalal-Zadeh
David Switchenko
Mehdi Latifian
Director of photography
William Albu
Production designers
M. Leander Kalil
Angela Cho
Art director
Angela Cho
Costume designer
Sophie Edell
Script consultants
Olivia Norrmén-Smith & Przemek Piwek
Production managers
Max Holzberg
Camille Lavallée-Prairie
First assistant director
Gabrielle Écuyer
Prop master
Katrina Jurjans
Script supervisor
Sophie Edell
Gaffer
Pascale Dulude-de Broin
Key grip
Hugo Roy
Swing
Tristain Alain
Sound recordist
Giulio Trejo Martinez
Boom operator
Paloma Daris-Bécotte
Post production Supervisor
Max Holzberg
Executive producers
Angela Cho
Alana Friend-Lettner
Production consultant
Joyce Joumaa
Location manager
Kim Kalil
Catering
Kim Kalil
Greg Kalil
Four Rooms
2025
These are four linocut prints produced for the installation Four Rooms by the Toronto collective Elsewhere (Katrina Jurjans, Nellie Jalal Zadeh, Mehdi Latifian), exhibited at Gallery 1888 in Toronto. The four-chapter installation was an exploration of what Elsewhere calls the “four cardinal domestic quarters”. The installation held the four quarters in simultaneity, but each week one of the four was made predominant through cinematic, musical, and practical effects. Concordant with this, and echoeing the Tarot, each week one of the four cards was offered to visitors.
Beach house
2024
This is a design for a house on a tropical island. It was to be built on a 26’-high plateau clearing in a forest on a beachfront site. The land featured coconut palms, banana trees, papaya, avocado, and lots of shrubs. The house was to be made of timber and natural fibre blocks finished in white concrete, and was to have floors and elements of limestone and volcanic rock, largely reused from excavation of the terrain. The project was cancelled, and the design and these drawings stand unfinished.
Reclined female
2024
Modelled in clay and bisque fired.
Two male torsos
2024
Modelled in clay and bisque fired.