Our World in Zanzibar: Women's Migration Stories

Abstract

Our World in Zanzibar presents a group of women from Europe, North and South America telling what it’s like living in Zanzibar, East Africa. The women share stories of their migrations to Zanzibar during a 4-day period, in different workshop settings. They spoke frankly about why and how they migrated, the painful past experiences and their aspirations and reality of living in a different culture.

I saw this project as a unique opportunity to further develop and expand on the scope and the discourse of [auto] video ethnography and 'First Person' film practices where [ordinary] people are given opportunities to construct and tell their personal stories through moving images and sounds. The film explores and provides material for discussing the relationship between memory and the present, the private and public in the process of self-expression, and the anxieties of revealing the 'private' in 'public' space. I was interested to look at the empowering function of constructing and representing autobiographical materials [using video] in a range of performance contexts.

Another important issue that the film highlights through the women’s personal stories is a new outlook on Africa. This project provides an added dimension and a chance to explore and present new and alternative images and ideas about Africa through the women’s experiences. It explores the notion of 'Reverse Migration'; people migrating from richer and wealthier countries to Africa, a continent consistently represented as a place of despair, misery and poverty. Their stories and experiences present Africa as a place of safety and peace, where dreams can be realized and an environment that allows an individual to flourish and be creative.