International Competition: I hear you, I see you, I speak of you
Saturday, 15 January 2022
Image: Babybangz, Juliana Kasumu, 2021
A meaning is decipherable. Yet a meaning of purpose is indecipherable. Wrapped in yearning and adversity – siblings resort to rivalry, a family is obliged to seek refuge, a newlywed wobbles in predicament while a community form bonds with one another. Caught in paradox, what remains is in dialogue.
Curated by Qila Gill
Nuevo Rico
Kristian Mercado
16'
2021
United States
A brother and sister stumble upon a celestial secret that changes their lives forever and propels them into Reggaetón stardom, but they soon discover that their newfound fame comes at a deep price.
The Miniaturist of Junagadh
Kaushal Oza
29'
2021
India
1947. The ravages of Partition have compelled an old artist, Husyn Naqqash, to sell his ancestral home in Western India and move with his family to Karachi, Pakistan. When Kishorilal, a stoic and stone-hearted man, who has bought the house, comes to know that Husyn is a well-known miniature painter and has an invaluable and rare miniature collection, he schemes to get hold of the collection. But all is not what it seems and there is a secret about the collection that Husyn’s family is holding back. Not only from Kishorilal… but also from Husyn.
Three Songs for Benazir
Elizabeth Mirzaei, Gulistan Mirzaei
22'
2021
Afghanistan
The story of Shaista, a young man who—newly married to Benazir and living in a camp for displaced persons in Kabul—struggles to balance his dreams of being the first from his tribe to join the Afghan National Army with the responsibilities of starting a family. Even as Shaista’s love for Benazir is palpable, the choices he must make to build a life with her have profound consequences.
Babybangz
Juliana Kasumu
11'
2021
United States
Salon [noun]: “a social gathering, especially of writers or artists, at the home of a prominent woman, focused on pleasurable and intellectual discourse”.
‘Babybangz’ visualises the story of Anastasia Ebel, owner of a natural hair salon in Mid-city, New Orleans. Reflecting on her continuing desire to cultivate safe spaces for discourse, we gain insight into Anastasia’s mission with Babybangz; to foster opportunities for intentional reflection, for both herself and her local New Orleans community.