Tapestry of Colours crosses the border with a special screening in County Cork, ROI!

The feedback was incredibly generous and news about the screening managed to get featured in 2 papers!

Cork Independent

“An artistic film that deals with the turbulent lifestyle of Northern Ireland is being showcased at St John’s College Lecture Theatre Thursday 21 March as part of Cork’s Life Long Learning Festival.

This thought provoking and poignant piece of cinematography will be shown for the first time in Cork this Thursday at St John’s College Lecture Theatre at 1.30pm”

The link to the article is here »

Comments

“I liked the lightness of the authorial voice – that people felt able to tell their own stories and that that trust – which is central to the film – was engendered.”
Carole Anne Floyed

“Really great and honest.”
Clare McDyre

“Very thought provoking, moving and it causes a desire to get out and become more inclusive and learn about other people + cultures.”
Ara Devine

“It is an eye-opening look at people who are labelled by others based on their nationality. I enjoyed how personal the stories were.”
Eoin Falvin

“Made me think about important issues I would usually overlook.”
Ian Hurley

“I found it different from everything else about N. Ireland.”
Declan Lynett

VIEW digital magazine is the new independent voice for the third sector in Northern Ireland. Brian Pelan interviewed me to find out more about the film and the people who feature. The following is an excerpt from the interview…

Director Zhenia Mahdi-Mau, who made the film with financial assistance from the Community Relations Council, is adamant that Tapestry of Colours is not about ethnic minorities.

“It is about me as an artist observing the world as I look at it. Northern Ireland, where I live at the moment, is made up of so many different colours and cultures. In essence, I am interested in how an individual looks at their own identity. It’s not about ethnicity, it’s about human stories. I was very driven about let’s see what happens and where it takes you. Basically I wanted to see what happened when I put the question to each individual. ‘How do you see yourself, what is your culture?'”

Download this edition of VIEW magazine to read the article – click here

“My aim in making Tapestry of Colours was to explore the perception of identity in Northern Ireland as it becomes progressively diverse, multifaceted, probed and challenged, often in unsettling ways. The film poses questions about attitudes toward identity and culture that are commonly asked not just in Northern Ireland but across Europe and in areas around the world where large migrations occur.

It is my hope that Tapestry of Colours will highlight the fact that, despite our differing beliefs and cultural practices, these differences ultimately direct, instruct and enrich our society. The quest to discover who we are, and to achieve a sense of belonging, is not unique to any particular culture. It is that sense of belonging that helps to create the desire to contribute positively to the society we live in.”

View the online article here

Filmmaker Zhenia Mahdi-Nau explores the mergence of different cultures in Northern Ireland in new documentary.

As an artist based in Northern Ireland for over 20 years, my work has tapped into my interest and experiences in film and photography, painting and illustration, music, fashion, digital art and motion graphics.

In recent years, however, I have become increasingly intrigued and fascinated by the changing face of Northern Ireland and the questions of identity and belonging that shape individual and community life here…View the online article here