Borderline-Europe Kooch Club
Report on the screening and discussion of "A Journey into Zero Space”
At borderline-europe we decided to hold monthly meetings to discuss migration and refugee issues. On Friday the 25th of October 2024 we held our first meeting where we screened the documentary "A Journey into Zero Space" by Dawood Hilmandi followed by a discussion. The filmmaker joined us and the audience asked him their questions and he answered them, he also told us more about the film and the process of making this documentary film.
The director, Dawood Hilmadi, explained that this film was born out of a question, but he did not want to give a definitive answer through this film. Instead, he tried to give the audience access to his mind and let them think about the question with him. The director said that he has not sent this film to the festivals that follow the classical narrative yet, this film has only been screened at some festivals and research meetings.
A Journey into Zero Space is an autobiographical documentary shot in the USA, the Netherlands, Iran and Afghanistan. The director tried to share part of his lived migration experience with us.
The film is a three-part documentary: in the first part, No King's Day, we follow Dawood's thoughts in the Netherlands and reflect on the war and its issues through his questions.
In the second part, Dear Bob Dear Baba, Dawood compares his teacher Bob with his father through some images. We are looking at life in the USA and Iran, which presents us with some of the same situations and questions.
In the third part of the film Me Montage, Dawood analyzes his mind, thoughts, memories, identity, and creative process, allowing us to journey with him through his questions by creatively using sound and imagery. This segment (Me Montage) was selected as the opening film for the Oberhausen Film Festival, the largest and most prestigious short creative film festival in the world.
Praised at several film festivals, this artistic work brings a fresh perspective on human experiences and migration, inviting us to reflect on the search for identity. Beyond exploring the timeline of creativity, the film also encourages the audience to consider the meaning of becoming a refugee. After the recent major wars in the world, which resulted in the increasing of migrations, attention is paid to this film again and request to watch this film with a new perspective came up.
Borderline-europe's monthly meetings will continue and everyone is welcome to attend and join in the discussion. It is free for everyone, and we look forward to seeing and discussing with you at the November meeting.
For more information on upcoming meetings, follow Borderline-europe's website and social media channels!
