In Conversation: Rochelle White
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In Conversation: Rochelle White
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Arts & Culture
Words By: Luc Hinson
Photography: Rochelle White
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Brother Will is a digital film, a film that's just over 5 minutes long. A film that's beautifully honest and open. A transparent gaze at the relationship between Rochelle White and her Grandpa. We're lucky enough to have the film embedded above for you to watch. Once you watched, scroll down to read through our interview with Rochelle, She shared her motivations behind shooting the film, what she learnt through the process and her hopes for the upcoming year. Oh, and you can catch more of Rochelle's work here:: https://rochelle-white.com/
BB: Why did you decide to make Brother will?
My Grandmother died very suddenly on Boxing Day 12 years ago. We were super close and it’s mainly in recent years I’ve wondered how our dynamic would have blossomed as I’ve become a woman. Bits of advice she would’ve given, secrets she may have shared. I have become really close with my Grandad since then. A lot more of that generation who came to the UK over from the Caribbean through the 1940s-60s are starting to pass away, my Grandad is losing his friends, and it has made me realise that if we don’t document as many gems as we can it would be a real shame to see these tales leave with them.
BB: Tell us a bit about the narrative behind Brother Will, what are you expressing?
It’s definitely a celebration of his life and our relationship. It’s kind of a non-narrative in a way, perhaps more of a collection of visual and audio treasures / observations from encounters with my Grandad that I’ve archived over the past few years. The work explores some of the complexities of a life lived as an immigrant, as a member of the commonwealth: striving and aspiring for a better life for you and your family, no longer recognising or relating to native idioms/dialect, carrying expectations, finding faith… it also touches on generational feelings of displacement and adapting to different environments, which, is embedded in our dna.
BB: What did you learn through the making of Brother Will?
I started to make more connections within this wider conversation of ‘home’ in regards to identity, attachment and assimilation. How much do we “keep” and how much do we “leave behind”? It’s so nuanced though. My Grandad is certain that he wouldn’t go back to Jamaica as he feel’s there’s nothing left for him there - everything he needs he has bought with him and holds intrinsically. Some of the garden footage actually reminded me of Fern Gully and other leafy areas of Jamaica, which I found both sweet and a little sad. Maybe his love for agriculture is him keeping that connection, though it pops up in various aspects - even down to how he puts his own twist on his breakfast tea by adding mint and vanilla. Hindsight has also blessed me with a deeper gratitude for having spent my formative years living with my grandfolks.
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"No-one can document our stories more accurately, majestically and authentically than ourselves."
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Pictured: Rochelle White
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BB: Why is it important for us to narrate our own stories, our own histories?
Black and brown existence in history has consistently been erased/altered/reappropriated. It’s still happening, which is why it’s urgent that we continue to practice our agency by telling our own stories, in our own words and through our own lenses. Historically, we’ve been denied of that - however no-one can document our stories more accurately, majestically and authentically than ourselves.
BB: What would you describe as the main contributing factor to your identity?
I can’t choose just one, my identity is composed of various intersected factors.
BB: What is the first thing you think of when i say home?
Warmth
BB: Why did you choose to document the project through moving image?
I felt really stagnant with my photographic practice. I have lots of portraits of my Grandad and other family members but I needed to find a way that I could collate these varied archival materials into something beyond the methods I was so used to… I tried installation, however making a video piece quickly became the best way to encompass everything that I wanted to document and communicate.
BB: What do you want viewers of Brother Will to come away with?
I hope some feel a kinship with some of the things shared in this video. It will be interesting to see what resonates with people the most, especially those who have lived with a sense of displacement. Some moments may be emotional for some too, as they were for me.
BB: What do you hope to achieve in 2019?
I’m ready to get this work!!! I try not to attach myself to expectations but I’d love to see myself and my friends who are all so talented continue to break bread together.
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Words By: Luc Hinson, 17th January 2019
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CONTEMPORARY CONVERSATIONS
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