
Documentary: Nach Hause (Towards Home)
A mother and daughter forced to live apart, recollect their memories to find a new meaning of home.
Project Description:
"Nach Hause" is a documentary film that intimately captures the lives of Fargol and her mother, Soyaz, two Iranian women forced to flee their homeland due to political upheaval and personal circumstances. Ultimately, the film explores how the loss of Fargol and Soyaz's homeland has impacted their memory and sense of identity, inviting audiences to empathize with their journey and raising awareness about the ongoing Iranian revolution.
Methodology:
The methodology of the filmmaking project was observational. The filmmakers followed Fargol as she explored her relationship with her mother and reconnected with her after a couple of years apart. We have multiple scenes where Fargol and Soyaz attempt to reconnect to home such as when they make and eat Persian food, speak in Farsi, or when they discuss their homeland. They discussed how being from Iran has shaped their identities and how they are perceived now. The film attempts to show the genuine connection between mother and daughter while exploring what it means to be an immigrant and what it means to be a woman.
Impact:
The documentary delves into the impact of political upheaval on personal lives and explores the intersection of individual identity with broader cultural and political contexts.
The observational methodology provides an intimate look into the lives of the protagonists, offering insights into the preservation and transformation of cultural practices and language in the diaspora while providing a broader connection to the political situation. The focus on memory and identity contributes to the understanding of psychological aspects related to displacement and migration. The film sheds light on how individuals cope with the loss of their homeland and the challenges of maintaining a sense of self in a new cultural context. Last but not least, the exploration of the immigrant experience is layered with a focus on the experiences of women. This aspect is relevant to gender studies, offering insights into the unique challenges and perspectives of female immigrants.
Personal Impact:
For Fargol, this was an experience that allowed her to reconnect to home in a way that she is not able to in Colorado. Her identity is constantly challenged by the displaced immigration that she is facing every day, and exploring her identity with her mom in a documentary depends on her understanding of herself. For Mags, it is a learning experience as a director. She has learned the intricacies of a documentary that does not have a set structure and relies on real-life experiences. She has got an insight into all aspects of creating a film. From pre-production -- planning, budgeting, gathering finances through production -- directing what exactly needs to be filmed, to post-production -- editing, and distributing the final film. Both, Mags, and Fargol, has learned to collaborate as this was a joint project where Fargol tells her story, and Mags helps with the accurate execution.
Next steps/further implications:
The first draft of the project was finished. Mags and Fargol are currently working on color and sound. The first version was presented as Mags' thesis at the thesis screening. There is going to be a screening for the Exploration CC grant, and also for a screening for the Psychology department, to which we hope to have a nearly finished version of the film. Hopefully, this will bring awareness to the CC community about the consequences of displaced immigration, and it will shed light on the current situation in Iran and its violation of women’s rights through a personal story. We are hoping that many will find a connection to Fargol as she is also just a regular student working on getting a degree. Moreover, we would like to submit our film to festivals, and hopefully raise even more awareness by showing it to a broader audience.
Both women cook Iranian Soup -- an important symbol of their home.
Spending time together by a river in Hamburg.
Fargol travelling to get her visa so she can see her mom.
Soyaz and Fargol together in Soyaz's home.