An evening of short films curated by Basma Alsharif, featuring Foyer by Ismaïl Bahri set in Tunis, Electrical Gaza by Turner Prize nominated Rosalind Nashashibi, and Dislocation Blues by Sky Hopinka which reflects on Standing Rock in the US.

Alsharif notes: ‘The three films presented in this program each deal with a particular landscape and its people with a keen attention given to the lens through which we are introduced to each site. Evading any sense of classical “knowing” we experience these spaces and their coded, politicized, or conflicted circumstances in ways that engage our own mechanisms for viewing. 

Selected for their singular approach in creating a unique visual language that defines how we enter into a contested space with a camera, we journey into a street in Tunis where the camera functions as the mediator between filmmaker and subject, the everyday of a besieged Gaza Strip is transformed into fantasy beyond what the camera can see and Standing Rock a body that reflects the collective experience.’

Foyer (2016) is a film by multimedia artist Ismaïl Bahri, who placed a white sheet in front of a camera while out on the streets of Tunis. The result is a poetic observation of passers-by, subtle light changes and the unceasing movement of the city.

In Electrical Gaza (2015), artist Rosalind Nashashibi combines her observations of domestic life in Gaza with animated sequences to reflect on issues of community. Images of families and friends engaged in everyday activities are punctuated with stark reminders of the local political conditions, while physical and imagined borders amplify the sense of geographical isolation.

Dislocation Blues (2017) by Sky Hopinka offers a portrait of reflections from Standing Rock, U.S., and its water protectors, refuting grand narratives and myth-making in favour of individual testimonials: Cleo Keahna recounts his experiences entering, being at, and leaving the camp and the difficulties and the reluctance in looking back with a clear and critical eye. Terry Running Wild describes what his camp is like, and what he hopes it will become.

Tickets £6.50