Measures of Distance

An ethereal and haunting video, Measures of Distance depicts an intimate relationship between mother and daughter. Experiencing exile of different forms, from their original homeland in Palestine and from their manufactured homeland in a refugee camp in Lebanon, Hatoum and her mother connect through handwritten letters and photographs. Addressing issues of female sexuality, family politics, war, exile, and trauma, Hatoum offers us insight into every day acts of resilience and the creation of moments of normalcy while living through war and exile. Between Arabic and English, photos and audio, this video connects with viewers on a multitude of levels, but at the heart of it all is the story of the relationship between a mother and her daughter.