This is the third article in the three-part series ‘CONNECTION is ____________’

For VERS I asked various filmmakers to reflect on the theme of connection: how they not only experience this theme as captains of their films and visions but also as individuals who are part of a larger whole, such as our society. I invite you, the reader, to explore the similarities within these visions further. As an editor, I felt a lot of resistance to the concept of ‘kill your darlings’ while compiling this piece. In this time of polarization in which we currently live, we could use something soothing in the form of these inspiring visions and personal experiences with the theme of connection.

Anas Qadamani – Director of the essay film The Elephant & The Room

In today’s world, technology and its products suggest a connection to be at its peak in history. However, I sadly see the opposite in many areas of our lives. The world is becoming more divided day by day, economically, socially, and physically. It’s about time we reconsider whether building a wall will eliminate the threat, or if the real threat is in building the wall itself. As an artist, I don’t consider art to be a choice of communicating or a goal in itself. Art is a healing process. Once we are fully healed as a species, I believe art will become meaningless and disappear on its own.

“The Elephant & The Room” aims to spark an urgent conversation on Western European political discourse, highlighting its hypocrisy and double standards regarding immigration and the so-called Third World. The narrative follows a bizarre news story about African elephants heading towards Europe. By delving into the historical context of this headline, the story uncovers unexpected and problematic past and current relations and practices, bringing Western European political and humanitarian values into question.

The communicative value and functionality of connection in this film are inseparable from its context and target audience. Its impact and value lie in its urgency amidst ongoing global struggles and devastating humanitarian circumstances resulting from the violent ideologies and practices of imperialism. My film attempts to address what is systematically marginalized in Western European dominant narratives. It aims to raise awareness of our consumption of media and systematically propagated narratives, its impact on our emotional and mental state, and most importantly, how such narratives of delusion help maintain systems of injustice and violence.

As an immigrant myself, I perceive borders, with their divisional functionality, extending beyond physical forms — security, surveillance, and razor fences. The mental borders between people are equally problematic, forming a significant challenge in the pursuit of a genuine and productive dialogue. “The Elephant & The Room” addresses the barrier surrounding Western European — dominant — political and social mentality. Created by fictional narratives, this barrier isolates Europeans from the devastating consequences of their political systems’ direct and indirect influences on the other side of the European physical borders. In this film, I’m suggesting that establishing a much-needed connection requires us to cross such borders of systematic delusion, and for that to happen, we must have the courage to acknowledge those borders in the first place.

Anas graduated in Audiovisual Design at Willem de Kooning in Rotterdam.

Insight from the artist: I believe connection to be a dynamic process that requires shared and continuous labor in the pursuit of understanding and coexistence. In my film, it was of high priority to develop stylistic choices that help establish a bond with the viewer. Although the film presents the viewer with an emotionally and mentally heavy story, it conveys it in a light tone, utilizing chapter breaks, humor, and a sense of playfulness throughout. This approach emphasizes that the confrontational and provocative aspects of the film are an invitation for genuine discussion, rather than an end in themselves.

Medea Zingerle – Director of the documentary We Are Waiting for the Snow

My first connection is with my project—the reason why I am doing it. The other important connection I seek is with my audience, and how I want people to consume and interact with my work. I always say that I’m a conversation starter, so I don’t want to tell crazy stories, but stories of everyday life, or everyday people, that most people can also relate to. Especially in a polarized society, where we are becoming more divided, conversation starters are important to me. Through film, we can talk to each other, and gain new perspectives on how we view certain things in life. For example, people liked that I could meet a person through a landscape, something people had never heard of before.

There are multiple layers and different types of connections in “We Are Waiting for Snow”. The film is about me trying to connect with my grandfather through a landscape because I didn’t get the chance to meet him since he passed away before I was born. Therefore, it is also a connection to the nature of the land, which in this case is the Alps—something we both cherish. So, even though at first it might seem it is about me and my grandfather, in the end, it is much more about our common connection to the mountain.

The most touching and personal part about making my graduation film was getting to know a person I only knew from stories as an old man with wrinkles and wise words. Through his hiking journals from when he was 23, I got to know a young boy my age. His words and way of taking pictures and framing things started to speak to me through time. Therefore, it was much more than getting to know my grandfather, it was like getting to know an old friend. Interestingly enough, the audience, especially fathers, approached me afterward, saying that it emotionally touched them how interesting it is to get to know a person through a landscape. It made them think about the people they never had the chance to meet in person themselves.

I had never been to the mountains where my grandfather grew up before making this film. The extreme weather conditions made it very intimate. Even though it seemed like I was all by myself, my DP, Florian Steiner, and I met many interesting and kind locals who were eager to support our production. In these smaller, alpine villages, young people leave the village, which is a big problem, so if a young person comes to the village or returns, they find it very exciting that young people show interest in their village. It was a beautiful exchange of information. Because I have a lot of archival material about the land, from museums and my grandfather, that people didn’t even know about. We even went on an excursion with the head of security from the new military training area close by, which was extra special.

Medea graduated in Audiovisual Design at Willem de Kooning in Rotterdam.

Insights from the creator: Our school mostly pushes the conceptual side of creating, but it often helps to deepen a certain skill set. This is what gives me the liberty to transform my ideas into visual concepts. Also collaborating with other creators who have a specific skill set can be very beneficial, for example during post-production working with Panos Tsamouras, the composer of the film. The music that we created for the film helped me to also structure the voiceover and edit.

Lindy van Hillo – Director of To Where the Sky Turns Blue

As a filmmaker, I find it important to highlight the connections we often overlook at first: the connection in moments when we don’t feel connected, the unspoken bond that remains with those we no longer speak to, and the impact of brief conversations with a stranger. We influence the paths of people we’ve known for years, those we’ve yet to meet, and even those we will never encounter.

In my work, our human ambiguity often comes to the forefront; the interplay between what we feel but don’t say, and between what we want and what we do. The connection we have with ourselves is reflected in the connections we make with the rest of the world. Through creating fiction, I aim to capture the raw emotions and connections of everyday life, but with a touch of magic, to encapsulate those feelings where words fall short and to step outside the boundaries of our usual thinking.

Connection is difficult for me to describe in words because it encompasses so much. Connection is a conversation with someone on the train. Connection is an exchange of glances where you both know exactly what you mean. Connection is being able to be completely yourself, a warm hug from your best friend, the food we eat, and the art in our homes. And then, the most important connection that we sometimes forget—the connection with ourselves. I think we can easily lose sight of that because we can become so overstimulated and overwhelmed by everything happening around us that we forget to really turn inward and take a moment to pause. When that’s in place, everything feels more vibrant, and that’s truly beautiful.

The choice of a non-linear narrative structure and relay style was important for telling this story. We follow multiple characters, passing the baton when they cross paths—instead of sticking to one main character. This way, we offer glimpses into various lives and show how we are both cause and effect of each other over time. This form reflects how, in reality, we only have fragmentary knowledge of others. By only seeing fragments of each life, there is room for reflection, questions, and interpretation. To me, that’s also what art is—that the lives and content of a film never fully stop and continue within us. I hope this film helps you connect with yourself, and therefore with others.

Lindy graduated in 2024 with a degree in Photography, Film & the Digital at St. Joost in Breda.

Insight from the creator: Work with people you feel connected to; this can sometimes be even more important than someone’s experience! Filmmaking can be so personal and intimate. If you both feel love for the story and become connected through the concept, you can achieve a lot. And it’s very important to take feedback seriously and consider it, but it’s even more important to trust your own idea

This article was written by Yoeri van Esseveld.