A Life on Tape / Bilder (m)einer Mutter: dir Melanie Lischker (1921)

Melanie Lischker’s documentary reconstructs the life of her mother (who she barely remembers) from over 100 hours of Super 8 and video footage that was meticulously recorded over the decades, mostly by her father. The result is the poignant story of a young woman who was never able to fully accept her role as a mother as she tried to free herself from the old thought patterns of her rather authoritarian parents in the 1970s. Her ongoing struggle between a desire for freedom and the imperatives of a well-ordered family life have affected the childhood of the director, her daughter … Both personally and politically, the film travels through the decades and shows a woman in conflict with the patriarchal structures of her day.

This film screens in the NAAS: She Reel series, a collaboration between several cultural institutions in the UAEwhich has the subtitle ‘Women in Society: Stories That Inspire, Change That Empowers’. The films in the programme are dedicated to showcasing women’s stories and raising awareness about their roles in our lives.