Nadeem Din-Gabisi

Mass (2020)
Nadeem Din-Gabisi
Selected by Forma, U.K

Nadeem Din-Gabisi’s film MASS departs from Tina Campt’s concept ‘Black visual frequency’ to imagine how a sense of belonging might be found within the alienating urban environment. The film follows a woman seeking connection as she wanders through a grey cityscape and retreats to an inner sanctuary. Contrasting these internal and external worlds, Din-Gabisi explores how collectivity, allegiances and bonds materialise from an individual’s experiences, both seen and unseen.

Whilst on the street, the film’s protagonist tunes into the invisible waves emitted from radios and satellite dishes; when she takes refuge, solitary reflection cultivates a deeper connection with herself and fosters an empathetic relationship with others. Antennas, speakers and transmitters - the physical devices that emit frequencies and share voices - form a visual backbone for the film and symbolise the unseen ‘signals' that characterises various aspects of contemporary Black experience around which people identify and congregate.

Featuring contributions from musician Coby Sey, artist-filmmaker Rhea Storr, and Director of Photography Shivani Hassard, and shot on 16mm, 8mm, and digital video, the film poetically reminds us that belonging resides within, not without and that connection stems from individuals, who together form a mass - a testament to the power of solidarity, collectivity and equilibrium.