Installation view, F-space, Los Angeles (2004) Photographer: Karl Haendel
This film/video work is set up as an intervju situation where I ask five women to answer questions like ‘Where are you from?’ ,’Where are your parents from?’, ‘Why did you come here?’. After they have completed their answers, I pose the same questions a second time, but now ask the women to fabricate other identities and ancestries. I was interested in how questions of this type creates ‘otherness’, but also wanted to point to the interrogations taking place in immigration and naturalization procedures.
In the film, it is uncertain which stories contains grains of truth, and the viewer is left with studying the women’s facial features and expresssions for clues. I asked one of the women to remain silent as the camera sweeps by her. Years later I find out that this woman has a personal, very touching story of great relevance to the project.
Year: 2003
Digital Video