Research / Souvenir (Dialogues)

"Research / Souvenir (Dialogues)", utilizes found Super 8mm footage from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and audio from ethnographic research gathered among Zimbabwean migrant women in Cape Town, South Africa. Part 1,"Research", reveals the personal thoughts and challenges faced by researcher/filmmaker Horn in the field. Part 2, "Souvenir (Dialogues)", offers the research participants an opportunity to question Horn about his choice of souvenirs from the field, providing the political and economic backdrop to the ongoing exodus of Zimbabweans and leads up to the removal of long standing President Robert Mugabe on November 21, 2017. Functioning as an additional layer of consideration, the found home movies follow an unknown South African woman as she travels from Cape Town to Zimbabwe, a route mimicked by Horn. This form of visual representation seeks to call attention to the ongoing ethical issues and privileges researchers / filmmakers encounter within the context of the post-colonial landscape of Southern Africa.

Short biography/filmography of the director: Roger Horn lectures in Visual Anthropology at the University of Cape Town, drawing upon his 19 years of experience across various disciplines and media outlets for inspiration. Additionally, Roger is currently pursuing his PhD in Visual Anthropology where he continues to research and expand upon the material presented in his films about Zimbabwean women residing in Cape Town, S.A., "These Objects, Those Memories" (2015), "Migrant Dilemma" (2017), and "Research / Souvenir (Dialogues)" (2017).