Paper short abstract:

The film accompanies us through the process of getting to know what home means to five Londoners and the director herself. It visits homes abstract and concrete, temporary and permanent, private and public, real and dreamed, while passing from virtual space to reality.

Paper long abstract:

The film tells the story of five Londoners and gradually uncovers in depth what home means to them not only today but throughout their lives. Together with them, I, the director of the film, continuously explore my home as well as throughout the filmmaking process, I question whether to stay or leave London. The entire film is thus a visit to several homes – theirs and mine, abstract and concrete, temporary and permanent, real and dreamed, private and public. Each character is in a different situation, yet they are all at home in London. Jamaican Andre, British Caroline, Russian Zinovy, French Emilie, Irish-Ukrainian Maria. The film accompanies us through the process of getting to know their home and changes its form and narrative style along with how we get closer to them – emotionally and physically. The film and its chosen form reflect not only the pandemic situation, in which the importance of the home has been significantly accentuated, but also views the home as a universal, omnipresent, very personal, and individual theme. It passes from virtual space to reality, from public to inner, from observational documentary to autoethnography. How can one have a home in London?

STAGE: Postproduction (aiming to finish it by Autumn 2023)

FEEDBACK: I would like to get feedback mainly on editing and the narrative structure, however, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

The film is developed as part of a PhD in Film: Practice as Research. The PhD project lies between documentary film and anthropology.