The unlikable I - engagement with the foreign element

Vasili's work revolves around the net of relationships that shape his position as a migrant, a foreigner. He uses the camera to reveal family dynamics, marked by exile, rigid gender roles, privilege and exclusion. The camera becomes an instrument for self-analysis and a shield to hide behind, while craving proximity.

Through play with memory and performative interventions Vasili confronts the gaps in his identity by facing the trauma of his brother, Vova, a trauma for which he is partly responsible (something Vasili doesn’t remember because forgetting is easy).

 „Teach me Salsa dancing!“ he said. Vova is a great salsa dancer, he’s even a dance instructor, specializing in Salsa Cubana. „Why not...“ said Vova. „This is gonna be so fucking weird!“, Vasili mumbles to himself, he wants the lesson to end before it even started.

 The camera is more than just a passive observer. Sometimes the protective layer of the lens is needed to face the things that make your hands sweat: the parts of yourself that drive you mad or cause you shame. The unlikable character appears on film footage. Where does he go from there?