Home and Belonging film: Britain is Great

Britain is Great, Azin Azadeh

Britain is Great produced by Azin Azadeh, is a narrative reclaiming her personal identity & her own 'migrant' experience of exile, hope, home & legacy. Some of Azin’s artwork is used in the film, which responds to the past and current global ‘crisis’ and references the impact of war and displacement. Inspired in the wake of Brexit, Azin’s story captures the perpetuated stigma experienced by her even after 40 years of living here and as a British citizen herself. In her film, she reclaims the importance of ‘justness, equality and diversity that has reigned defiantly over challenging times and which has come to symbolize the Britain she came to know, love and respect. It is a legacy she wishes to pass on to her children.

The Home & Belonging Short Digi-Films

Participants on the Home and Belonging project have collaborated with photographer Aleksandra Dogramadzi to develop their stories of personal experiences here in the North East.

In the digi-film workshops, participants explored the theme of ‘Home and Belonging’. Using their phones, they worked with the artist to co-produce their own stories; to sequence, script and choose locations for their digi-films. The stories cover a myriad of reasons ranging from persecution to war, for having to flee and/or be displaced from their countries, families, familiar surroundings and any sense of home and belonging they would have had themselves, prior to coming to the North East.

As a result, the participants have created digi-films, autobiographical snapshots capturing moments which caused dramatic upheaval in their lives but which is also part of the rich diversity of the migrant and also refugee and asylum seeking experience. Their stories present us with new encounters and challenges and changes our perceived identity of the ever-changing cultural landscape and contemporary social history of the North East.

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