I’ve been selling Postcards!
My home for a year, Venice definitely changed me.
Reflection has always been a concept of interest to me, but here in a city-afloat, it’s definition surely took a new meaning.
In this strange city you can’t help but reflect, internally and externally. For the silence of slipping between mysterious alleyways leaves you alone with your thoughts in a way that I’ve rarely experienced before.
In wayward wondering the mind wanders, or the other way around; it doesn’t matter.
Because that’s Venice, everything is seen mirrored.
A picture of a canal is twofold, the sky becomes the water and the water becomes the sky and all you can do is reflect on its image.
In reflecting I strengthened a passion for film and creativity fomented by meeting amazingly creative people who only allowed that passion to grow and transform.
So after a year of practicing and reflecting, I wanted to create a tangible form of my work.
Here I’ve included a selection of these.
I spent time selling these postcards in Venice, peddling wares in 5 languages with tourists from anywhere and everywhere. If I didn’t speak their language I’d kindly ask them to teach me a phrase or two.
Every moment is a lesson and everyone of us a student.
This place solidified that in my mind.
My passion for learning and practice will only carry on growing in the next chapter as I return to London.
أنا طالب طول حياتي.
So anyone still in Venice wanting to buy some any of the prints DM me, likewise for any people in the UK who want to reserve prints for when I move back at the end of this month.
-Youssef.
This one’s a bit different.
I took these photos at a London pro-Palestine protest in late 2023, a few months after the most recent and violent phase of Isr*el’s bombardment of the Gaza strip began.
Now, the 75 year Palestinian plight for freedom is a familiar story for those raised by North-African or Middle-Eastern parents, we heard it through our lives and were taught to understand its perverse power dynamics.
So while the world watched from a distance, I made sure to watch from as close as I could bear and then some.
The videos on Instagram of tents burning with people inside, the clip on the news of mothers fleeing and tetas hobbling amongst rubble, to now the perpetual photos of starving babies unable to open their eyes for lack of strength.
For they have to live it, so we have to witness.
It’s the least we can do.
When I saw lists of martyred victims, I saw my name, my sister’s name and the names of those I love. I saw the names of friends and teachers, of shopworkers and cleaners.
I saw the names of people.
I saw the names of innocents.
Now, over the last year, I found myself in quiet moments expressing what I saw in writing, a new practice.
So, I have included a selection of some short poems I wrote in these moments.
I hope these resonate or inspire people to research and speak out against the genocide that we are all witnessing live. I hope they act to humanise the victims of a genocide that may seem so far away for some, and painfully close for others.
For when it is all said and done, you can either tell your kids that you were there on the right side of history, or that you watched a people burn and said nothing.
If you have a voice, you can speak.
If you have legs, you can take a stand.
And if you have a fist, you can raise it high.
For Palestine, Congo and Sudan.
Boycott, Disclose, Divest.
Some trusted charities to donate to:
Doctors Without Borders, /
Save the Children, /us/where-we-work/west-bank-gaza
Palestinian Red Crescent Society, /en
From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.
غزة حبايبنا
Typo Edit: شجر <- شرج.
-Youssef.
Some work with @redshirtgab in the early days studio sessions for his up-coming EP.
Gabriel and the Philosophers are performing live tomorrow, 9th May at 4:30 @thegreenw7 in the @hanwell_hootie - free tickets.
I’ve got to see a lot of this music take form, so you’ll defo catch me there.
Pull up.
December 2025.
Some of my favourite stills/BTS shots from “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” music video for @redshirtgab , directed by me.
Once again, if you haven’t watched it yet, get to it.
And keep your eyes peeled for more to come. 🫡
- Youssef.
Some shots from a recent music video I wrote with (and for) @redshirtgab .
The video was directed, filmed and edited by Me.
This project was an absolute pleasure to work on, and took a lot of planning, filming and hard work from some great people, so show some love and spread the word!
If you haven’t watched the video just yet, check out “Gabriel, The Philosopher” on YouTube, and keep streaming “The Revolution Will Be televised” ‼️
Thanks to all the people for the hard work on this project.
It’s only the beginning, so watch this space 👀
Big thanks to:
Performance: @redshirtgab
Additional filming: @kade_vs_kade
Acting: @quienes4ndr3s
Music mix and master: @jkynggg
🎬🙏
Almost exactly a year since my last substack post, here’s another one.
I’d been thinking to write this for a while, but finally did it on the train back from Venice to Verona, two days ago.
It’s the first time I had been back to Venice and Mestre in 6 months, since I moved back to London.
I’ve said before how important my year living there was for me, so I won’t repeat myself.
But I hope you enjoy, please leave any comments or message with any feedback, I’m always interested to hear notes.
- Youssef.
(SUBSTACK link in Bio.)
