Home Movie Day 2022

Welcome to Home Movie Day 2022! This is an open screening of amateur films and footage from private archives. The event takes place every October all over the world to draw attention to the importance of preserving private film archives and amateur films. During the screening, we will see what we managed to collect and add to the collection of the Urban Media Archive of the Center for Urban History this year, and talk to the authors and heroes of home movies who will share their personal memories and stories.

This year our society has become extremely sensitive to the understanding and sense of home. Many of our fellow citizens are forced to be far from home: either fighting on the front line or fleeing to safe places from the horror of war. Some have lost their homes.

When the war continues and cities and citizens are still threatened, it is difficult to talk about home movies, which are associated with carefree family life and festive moments. At the same time, films, which are carriers of private memory, can be forgotten or lost. They connect with the past and help to place private memories in a historical context. In times of war, the sense of a historical moment from which it is impossible to hide makes many people more attentive to the past. A new optics appears that allows seeing each and every person as a participant and witness of history. Therefore, today it is very important to continue to preserve private archives and reflect on our place and participation in the historical process. Home Movie Day provides an opportunity to see forgotten life experiences and hear unexpected private memories that are hidden behind vivid shots.

Credits

Cover Image: Graphics by Liudmyla Sushchenia

Gallery: Bohdan Yemets