Vulva Magazine focuses and reflects on the life of the modern woman, featuring inspirational stories from all over the world, with women of all ages, race, size - everyone is included! Vulva Magazine is a platform which gives a voice to women.
- EXHIBITION -
The Collective Self - An Interactive Documentary by Victoria Dhal
The Collective Self is an interactive documentary installation engaging with the social identity of women. It is a creation - a living archive - that encompasses the diverse multitude of thought and reflection of everyday experience amongst women. just under 60 women have already taken part in this incredible project. From the ages of 17 all the way to 63, all from around the world from Sri Lanka to Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Libia, Spain to the UK. Victoria Dhal is creating something very special.
We spoke to Victoria about this incredible project and how she is changing the meaning of documentaries and their (more often than not) edited and linear structure. She is a filmmaker changing the game - by simply allowing the audience to be more involved in the story she is telling. Within the showcase, the installation is a brain within a cyclical room wherein you’ll walk in and select an emotion you feel. Each thought, image or video that women have sent in is already categorised. So when they press anger they will get all the angry thoughts in a random algorithm. None of this is edited. Victoria states, “Finding stories is really special and to tell people in a raw, interactive format is something I have really gotten into over the past year.”
Whilst being such a simple idea. There is a lot of work behind it. But it has paid off, as it has blown up worldwide. What happens is that for every woman who takes part, Victoria manually sends message notifications at random times throughout the day. Then upon receiving the message, the participant will be asked to define that particular moment and report what’s in their awareness at that time. By using their mobile phone, they either record their voice describing the though or take a photo/film what they see. Then jot down the emotion they experienced at that moment. Names and faces will never be revealed in the project and throughout, the women involved will remain in full control of what they wish people to see. These images are just some of under 1,000 messages sent back.
“This is a mass range of thought with complexions of everyday life, mundane, washing up - anything. It really shows a diverse range of thought from so many different ways.” It’s a large task but if anyone can do it, it’s Victoria. She continues to state, “I am creating a living archive in a way - it will change and evolve just like a living organism - constantly learning and thinking a new thought.“
Filmmakers have a lot of privilege and a lot of responsibility to take care of the person they are trying to represent. As a documentary filmmaker, Victoria states you have to establish a certain level of trust, story, and voice. “People don’t know you, they don’t know your work and of course, that makes it hard.” To make it easier, Victoria has found a method where she doesn’t ever speak for someone else - the people speak for themselves. She has also found it easier to ask friends to then ask their friends and give recommendations to know and show them that this is a person you can trust with your story.
So why women? “Women are so often misrepresented in documentaries. You have to constantly question who is editing the film, who is constructing that and their intentions.” However, despite finding a method and ethos of how she wants to tell stories and collaborate with people, it is still hard to let go of some control. “I am a control freak so I have to learn to let go. It is interesting to let go and see what happens because its a question of what kind of review am I going to get, what will people say - it is completely out of my control.” It’s a challenge. Working with real people and real things, there is never an element of control over them or the environment they are in. Victoria will indefinitely never guide anyone into what to say or do.
The Collective Self developed gradually. Coming from a lot of research about new ways of representing people, new and interactive media. Throughout her years at University, Victoria has dabbled in every genre of filmmaking but slowly is becoming less interested in fiction and narrative-based film. “I think that has come out of wanting a specific message from working with real issues with real people on real things,” Victoria continues, ”It’s so much more beautiful. Why would you want to make something up when real life more beautiful?”
Victoria has found her future in documentary film. Whether it is creating films or researching these beautiful stories. Before coming to England from Sweden, Victoria knew it was time to make her mark, make a career and to just go for it. There are many untold stories around the world, this is just one.
The Collective Self is being showcased at The Holden Gallery for two weeks in June 2019. If you want to get involved, email thecollectiveself@gmail.com for more information.
Written by Hannah Mathieson
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