CURRENT STATE

THE DISTANCEHD Video,  27:20 min

Experimental film / Artistic documentary

2015 Iran-Finalnd 

​

Based on artist’s life & childhood memory

Ask the artist directly for the password and link to the video

​

Exhibited first at Puristamo Hall, Cable Factory, Helsinki, Finland

Edited, filmed and directed by Sepideh Rahaa

Poem Sepideh Rahaa

Music Keyhan Kalhor

Edit of subtitle Charli Clark

Photographer Ali Kiyani

In conversation with Parvin Saei

​

Nominated for the ESPACIO ENTER selection 2015, 7th edition of International Festival of Creativity & Digital culture, Spain & Japan

 

I know with closed eyes

I am thinking of every possible and impossible

Surfing on the waves to the far horizons

Beyond Whatever exist or not

Wish or not

 

From here, where I am standing

To where my dreams begin,

There is only one ocean distance,

Only one ocean!

​

​

"The Distance" focuses on the reality of the artist’s life after migrating and living in Finland, sense of loss being far from her family. Video starts and ends with a floating non-linear dialogue between the artist and her mother about the Sea and childhood memories of the Sea. These memories has been portrayed in the video through several performances in the sea alongside with her poetry. It starts by dying mother's hair and her passion to have a blonde hair.

 

The Distance narrates emotional relationship between mother and daughter, including artist’s intimate memories of the Caspian Sea and her family. Video speaks of distance and migration, disorientation and a tremendous sense of loss as a result of the separation. “I kept working on my childhood memory in relationship to my mother, where she speaks of her memories of Caspian Sea before and after Islamic revolution of Iran (1979) about her youth and journey of ambitious life. She is lost in time expressing her feelings and memories looking at the images of past, coming back to the current moment she talks about me and my distorted relationship with her, a child who I was frightened by every event and the unclear future, about my migration and her loss. We are floating in time and space”. In between the dialogue, there are scenery of the see and poetry regarding the distance; “Facing with the sea for me is the metaphor of facing with the society where I am coming from, walking skeptically, gracefully and constantly toward it, I am discovering the strength of the waves coming from the Sea to hit my feet.”

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​

​