Project Detail

Measures of Distance

Synopsis

Mona Hatoum left Beirut in 1975 for a short visit to London. When war broke out in the Lebanon she found it impossible to return. In this video, letters from her mother in Beirut, written in Arabic, move across the screen. They are read aloud, in English, by the artist. Hatoum's mother is also heard, speaking openly about her feelings and sexuality, accompanied by images of her in the shower.

Hatoum's video suggests exile and displacement. She has said it also challenges 'the stereotype of Arab women as passive, mother as non-sexual being'.

Details

Year
1988
Type of project
Shorts
Running time
16 mins
Director
Mona Hatoum
Producer
Mona Hatoum
Screenwriter
Mona Hatoum
Sound
Iain Macanulty

Production Status

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