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 film

Shorts

Running Time

16 mins

Director

Mona Hatoum

Producer

Mona Hatoum

Screenwriter

Mona Hatoum

Sound

Iain Macanulty

Genre

• Experimental
• Woman Director

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 9th March 2012