Closeness to the Land (2022)

In 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning, Gazala purchased land in western Ohio, on which sits a disused school building. This site allowed her to explore her complex relationship with “the land.” As the daughter of displaced indigenous Palestinians, she attempts to form a proxy bond with the earth, on ground that was stolen from the displaced indigenous Shawnee people. Closeness to the Land is video footage of hand-painted text signs that translate the word الأرض (ard) into six English words, displayed performatively in multiple locations to capture the now-invisible nature of indigenous culture in Ohio. These signs were installed on the old schoolhouse in early 2021.

Released May 21, 2022 7 min None+

Genres: Documentary

Keywords: tmdb.palestine, tmdb.indigenous, tmdb.earth, tmdb.territory, tmdb.art, tmdb.land, tmdb.soil, tmdb.shawnee

Country: United States
Production Country: United States
Languages: English