📹 BEYOND BORDERS — FATOUMATA GANDEGA (Documentaire, 7 min.)
SYNOPSIS
Beyond Borders est une exploration cinématographique offrant une vision intime à travers lequel l’audience peut se plonger dans les récits personnels et profonds des expériences vécues par ma tendre Mère. Le film capture l’essence même de sa vie en Mauritanie et de son immigration en France. Cette immersion nous plongeant dans les vies, les luttes, la résilience et les réflexions au sein des diasporas africaines amène à questionner comment les vestiges du colonialisme continuent d’impacter nos communautés.
BIOGRAPHIE
FATOUMATA GANDEGA (elle/she)
Fatoumata Gandega est une artiste multi-disciplinaire. Ses créations sont issues de l’expérience des personnes issues de l’immigration vivant Europe. Par son travail, elle cherche à amplifier les voix marginalisées en explorant les identités intersectionnelles et l’autonomisation des communautés.
Son premier documentaire Where The Heart Is est une sélection officielle du Catalyst International Film Festival 2024. Son dernier projet, Beyond Borders, a été soutenu par le Parlement européen et d’autres organisations de l’Union Européenne.
Fatoumata était l’une des six réalisatrices britanniques sélectionnées pour la délégation Getting Real 24 de l’International Documentary Association à Los Angeles. Elle a récament reçu le prix Fire Station Artists Studio Catalyst Residency.
Séance B de 11:00 à 13:30 en salle « Dyana Gaye » (Salle des 4 Chemins)
📍 Les Laboratoires d’Aubervilliers et Salle des 4 Chemins,
41, rue Lécuyer, 93300 Aubervilliers #WXOOLFestival
BEYOND BORDERS (2023) is a cinematic exploration that serves as a testament to the power of storytelling, offering an intimate lens through which the audience can immerse themselves in the personal and profound accounts of the lived experiences of my dear Mother.
The film captures the very essence of her narrative, amplifying voices that often go unheard and inviting viewers to empathise with the complexities of her unique journey.
While drawing inspiration from the collected audio reflections of individuals from Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Sri Lanka and Pakistan living in Europe, the film remains an intimate narrative, focusing predominantly on her life. This intentional focus ensures a deep dive into the experiences, transcending geographical boundaries and resonating with the overarching themes of colonial history and borders that define the exhibition.
BEYOND BORDERS is a poignant testament to the collective strength of the diaspora who resist, reflect, and persist in the face of historical and contemporary challenges, offering a unique and compelling exploration within the broader tapestry of the diaspora’s experiences.
Many thanks to my siblings and @widjina , love yaaaaa 🥰
Directed, filmed and edited by @fantasymina_
This weekend, (27-28 Jan), Boom Café is hosting a @thebeyondborders_ exhibition.
Come along to explore an intersection between colonial histories and legacy, borders and the fight for equality.
The exhibition will tell new stories and present art work that focus on collective struggles across borders.
Launch event takes place 19:00 at Boom, with a panel of activists fighting to decolonise our views on these issues.
There will be a screening of a film based on one of the interviews and live painting alongside the talk.
The exhibition lasts all weekend.
more info @thebeyondborders_
Graphic design : @studiochleo
Artists
- Flyers for Falastin is a Belgium-based initiative to spread awareness about the occupation and genocide happening in Palestine. Their powerful flyers will be exposed for the length of the exhibition
- Palettes of Palestine is about shedding light on personal stories, art and the young culture of Palestine. They create spaces for different forms of storytelling. It aims to connect people and to the story of Palestine through dance, spoken word, visual art, music, food and more.
Palettes of Palestine will be displayed at the launch artwork from teenagers of Gaza.
- Raffi Marhaba (they/them) (@thebeatinbetween ) is a graphic designer, art director, illustrator and activist with over 12 years of experience doing design with a focus on social justice. « Never Left Gaza » with another of their artwork will be exhibited.
Panel discussion moderated by Aarti Narsee at 7:30 pm.
Panelists:
- Lamis Ali (@palestinian_belgian ) is a Palestinian activist born in Gaza and living in the diaspora in Belgium.
- Myriam Mhamedi is a French-Moroccan feminist, anti-racist and queer activist and a professional campaigner and storyteller for non-profits. Her work on gender justice focuses on intersectionality, decolonisation and the debunking of false narratives around social issues.
Doors at 7 pm at @boomcafe_bxl
Graphics by @studiochleo
Sheema Gohar is a multi-disciplinary designer based in Dublin, Ireland and born to Pakistani parents.
Sheema’s personal work often centres around her relationship with her Pakistani culture and at large tends to intersect with the Immigrant experience.
In this audio, Sheema tells us how colourism is one of the
remnants of colonialism in Pakistan.
design by @studiochleo
Hanan Amer is an Egyptian living in Ireland for 30 years.
She’s the founder of the Amal Women’s Association, which gives safety and dignity to the members of her community.
Hanan is a social worker fighting actively against domestic violence.
visual by @studiochleo
Sabrina GANESWARAN, born in 1998 in Paris, is currently working as an IT Team Leader in a Private Wealth Management Bank.
Besides her professional activities, she’s also an activist and is involved in community life as Municipal Councillor at La Courneuve (in the suburbs of Paris, where she lives) but also in several NGOs for gender equality, improving social insertion of disabled people and largely fitting for social justice, especially for minorities.
In this audio, Sabrina explains how France which does not recognise foreign degrees impacted her parents' lives
design by @studiochleo
Magou Gandega was born and raised in Mauritania. She moved to France in 1993 and now lives in Paris with her children.
Magou is member of an association which fights against juvenile delinquency and an association that combats poverty in her hometown in Mauritania.
She remains hopeful about a better future for the next generation.
In this audio, she talks about how the long-lasting effects of colonialism sacrifice and kill the young generation.
visual by @studiochleo
Hanien Alouzi was born and raised in Malta to a Libyan family and maintains a strong connection to her homeland and family in Libya.
In 2021 she moved to Dublin to pursue her Master’s in Social Change and now works with an Irish organisation that works to prevent domestic abuse in Ireland and advocates and supports victim-survivors of abuse.
In this audio, she describes to us how her name holds a heritage of her immigration journey.
chef d’oeuvre by @studiochleo
Dr. Asad Abu Sharkh, born in 1952 in Rafah Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip. He worked most of his life as a professor in Gaza before moving to Dublin in 2018.
He is a university professor in Dublin, co-editor of the book « A Shared Struggle: Stories of Palestinian and Irish Hunger Strikers » and the International Spokesperson of the Great March of Return.
Graphic design by @studiochleo
Meet the team 📣✨
Fatoumata Gandega is a multidisciplinary artist thriving in Film, Poetry and Theatre. In 2023, she directed her first film « Where the Heart Is » and was the Young Writer Delegate for the Belfast Book Festival. Her work focuses on marginalized narratives and bringing impactful stories to life, where unique perspectives are celebrated and embraced. Fatoumata is currently an artist-in-residence with Mother Tongues based in Dublin and a Changemaker for the Pop the Vote/European Parlement 2024 project.
Aarti J Narsee, is a first generation South African of South Asian descent. She is an intersectional feminist and former journalist who is passionate about advocating for civic freedoms and decolonisation. Aarti has worked both with civil society and in civil society for several years to advocate against human rights violations. In her present role, she works on policy and advocacy and is actively trying to disrupt the so called “Brussels Bubble”.
Imogen Tyreman is a communications professional based in Brussels. She began her activist journey as a student working on campaigns and gender equality. This led her into the political world and to Brussels, where she is involved in political and voluntary organisations. She is a current participant in the Jo Cox Women in Leadership programme and fighting for change based on an intersectional, decolonial perspective. She is passionate about opening up the conversation on equalities and mental health.
🖼️ by @studiochleo
Beyond Borders is an immersive exhibition that converges art, history, and human narratives, weaving a collective journey transcending into the heart of the lives, struggles, resilience, and reflections encapsulated within the African/Asia/Middle East diaspora with colonial history and contemporary challenges.
As visitors navigate the exhibition space, they will encounter a kaleidoscope of mediums—art installations, photographs, recorded audio narratives, and political expressions through flyers—all amplifying their existing works. This intentional approach ensures an authentic representation of diverse voices, creating an immersive atmosphere that offers nuanced perspectives on questions of colonialism and borders.
An exhibition by Fatoumata Gandega, Aarti Narsee and Imogen Tyreman
🖼️ by the talented @studiochleo
Beyond Borders was implemented as a part of “Europe Lab 2023” and financed by the Civil Society Forum.
