Inna Dmitrieva
United States of America + Afghanistan + Russia + other countries
Inna Dmitrieva
Landays, 2021
6:52 minutes
Landays is both a celebration of the landay, a traditional form of Afghan poetry, and an exploration of women’s life in contemporary Afghanistan. Centered around an interview with a young woman from Kabul, the piece juxtaposes rephotographed images of Afghan life with performances of several landay couplets. The film explores how these poems have served as a rare – and often only – opportunity for women to express their own thoughts and feelings. The performances of landays by women from eight different countries aspire to give voice to those who cannot sing their poems without fear.
about the artist
Inna Dmitrieva (b. 1994) is an experimental filmmaker and educator originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and currently based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She holds a BA in Linguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication from the Saint Petersburg University of Humanities and Social Sciences, and an MFA in Cinematic Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In her moving-image practice, Inna combines elements of documentary, essay film, and abstraction to investigate the relationship between language, estranged individuals, and the spaces they inhabit or leave behind. Her works have screened in her native Russia, as well as internationally, most recently at Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Scotland.
In her moving-image practice, Inna combines elements of documentary, essay film, and abstraction to investigate the relationship between language, estranged individuals, and the spaces they inhabit or leave behind. Her works have screened in her native Russia, as well as internationally, most recently at Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Scotland.