Why this project?

As I think through the nature and purpose of this project (specifically as it relates to interactivity), I’ve been thinking again about why I’m doing it in the first place. I’ve talked about how this project is largely motivated by my efforts to not forget one of my most important home spaces. The process of culling through archival material and re-watching hours of footage enables me to reconnect and to rethink my relationship to the farm and its generations of inhabitants. It also allows me to reflect on my relationship with my current family (my sisters and my dad). But, that’s not the only reason I’m doing this project. When STA and I started working on our farm films over 12 years ago, we shot a lot of footage and gathered a lot of materials. For years, this footage gathered dust in a box, marked “farm stuff.” I didn’t want that to be how it ended up. I wanted to find a way to share the footage with others, especially family members who might not otherwise have access to it. I also wanted to share with those whom I don’t know, but who can connect with the experiences of having and losing a home space.