DEAR NEIGHBOUR

An Antology of Short Stories on Film

“It is undeniable that growing up and living in a neighbourhood characterised by mass housing blocks is one important aspect of Eastern-European life. In the popular imagination, these apartment blocks are often seen as overbearing or depressing and are tied closely to the memory of an authoritarian past. However, the high-rise was and is also a site of play and childhood, one of sharing food and maintaining close social relations, of humorous lack of intimacy and petty scandals. We chose to focus on this latter aspect and curate a programme of short films and videos that capture the apartment block setting in a light-hearted mood. The eclectic mix ranges from highly-awarded new short movies to historical experimental animation to YouTube home videos, all originating from various places in Central and Eastern Europe.

The setting of the installation is a pan-Eastern nostalgic fantasy, a living room set in a vague past. This is all defined by a certain kitsch sensibility with the glass fish sculpture as its undying symbol. It's a space that's easy to relate to; we've all either had this living room at home in the past or at the very least visited it. “