PERSONAL /#FILM / #direction
‘TA SEI OF TA FEI’ AT
SURINAAMS MUSEUM, 2018
‘Ta Sei of Ta Fei’ translates to ‘See or to Feel’ in the Afro-Surinamese dialect, Saramaccan. During my 3 months on residency in Surianme’s rainforest village, Botopasi, I was immersed in the nature, the traditions, and the everyday. To see the river, was to feel the river. That is what connects us as humans. Even when not communicating in the same language we can revert back to our sight and emotions. In modern day, we are constantly consuming imagery digitally and reacting emotionally. This film reflects on how deeply our ancestors were connected to the land and as we grow further removed, the glitches are absorbed. This is a meditation on staying connected to nature.
As part of the Saamaka Mii exhibition, ‘Ta Sei of Ta Fei’ was shown on the gallery’s 2nd floor, with projections sequenced in layers on mesh klamboe (mosquito net) screens. Visuals repeat and overlap as a glimpse into Botopasi daily life. Sound recordings fill the room for an immersive experience; to hear the jungle, the laughter of children, and a poem in the native Saamakan Tongo written by myself in collaboration with local, Nokomo Ritfeld.
