A conversation with Dalal Al Najem, a young Bahraini filmmaker and visual artist. She majored in Film and TV at the the University of Arts in London.
tinyOm: Thank you dear Dalal for collaborating with us! We’ve been following your beautiful works and especially enjoyed your collaboration with Elias Madan shown at the Annual Bahrain Fine Art Exhibition last year. We also had the pleasure of attending the Ta’a Alshabab film festival of Bahrain and see you casted in the opening night film, which you also co-directed. In general, I see that your recurring narratives are mostly connected to tradition and heritage. Can you tell us a bit more about your work, your inspirations?
Dalal: To start off, personally, what my hands and mind create are definitely a visual reflection of myself translated from past experiences and what I’ve seen through my perspective. The connection to tradition that reoccurs in my work is not necessarily predominant but rather involuntary. As if it is has been constructed deep within me since birth. It’s not something I found, but rather something that has developed over time. My inspiration comes mainly from women from the region. Listening to women’s stories, especially women close to home and women who have left their mark on the world. Because we live in a male dominant society, I think when a woman flourishes and thrives, she can inspire a whole generation and make such an impact. These women should be remembered, appreciated, supported and listened to.
tinyOm: Do you find that Bahraini women stand-out?
Dalal: Of course, they also stand-out from many of the other gulf countries. Bahrain women are very in touch with their upbringing, with their legacy. They have a sense of home to them, because that’s where they feel safe. It is in the comfort of our homes that we are able to be fully ourselves, as queens and princesses. There’s an Arabic saying that translate to “a mother is a school” and I believe our women are accurate examples of this, schools in which we can learn the smallest to the biggest lessons from.
tinyOm: Do you have a role model or woman that stand-out in your family or friends?
Dalal: Most definitely, the lineage of family from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to my mother has inspired me immensely. Since I was a young girl, I would always say I hope to grow into the woman my mother is. From her strength and patience to her endurance to deal with what life throws at you with grace. My mother will forever be my role model and who I wish to become one day is someone she is proud of. And in general, the success story of any woman, that’s enough for me to be inspired.
tinyOm: What attracted you to film and image?
Dalal: The hunger we humans have for stories is part of our DNA. Storytelling has been our first tools of learning and surviving. Being able to tell stories gives you prestige and when people listen, they’re entertained, they learn. Film and image are the premier method of storytelling today and is also the greatest tool for preserving history. Growing-up all I can remember was my father with a video camera in his hand and I didn’t realize how important it was until later in life, when I look back at videos of me as a baby. My memories were like bits and pieces pieced together like a puzzle. With me being a visual person, it is certainly the reason why I chose the path of film. Looking back at those home movies, I got a sense of what my childhood was like and was able to connect with my childhood senses – the smells, sights, smells and textures.
tinyOm: How do you define your connection to your roots, your heritage?
Dalal: I feel it’s important to remain connected to them because they ground you. It is such a big part of me, its hereditary, kind of like a string of DNA, this is how I feel when I think about my heritage and it will show up in my work involuntarily, whether I like it or not.
tinyOm: I perceived the installation you did with Elias Madan as very nostalgic…
Dalal: Absolutely. It was a video called ”Home” filmed in the most iconic locations of home. Again, it is a reference to why I used the word home when describing Bahraini women. I displayed the film on my grandmother’s actual TV set that’s still at my grandmother’s house and has been there for almost more than 50 years, with so many memories attached to it. I remember as a kid running around it and scraping it and noticing that it still carries those very same marks. It was like taking a corner of my grandmother’s house and showcasing it at the Bahrain National Museum. It had that kind of a nostalgic feeling, expressed in a very personal way but every Bahraini or even non- Bahraini and it could be relatable. There was a deep connection to growing-up and being nearby the elder generation.
tinyOm: You started talking about your childhood memories, is there a specific one that stands-out? A smell, a sound, an odor?
Dalal: My most distinctive memory and the most vivid one is the sound of the oud. My Dad is a musician, so growing-up every single night I would hear the sound of the oud coming from his room as if it was just something casual, like the sound of the birds chirping outside my window every morning. It’s all I grew-up knowing, so the oud is a very significant instrument for me especially because I’ve been listening to my father’s music ever since I was in my mother’s womb. And this is why music has a significant role in my life, being a descendant of a musician.
tinyOm: Would you say that there’s a place which you find very iconic that really embodies Bahrain for you?
Dalal: Anywhere vintage. I’m into restoring what we already have instead of westernizing it. I prefer when we take what we have from our traditions and make it better instead of disregarding it and turning to the west. I would say, Muharraq is my hometown, its where my Dad was born and raised so every time we go back there I have this sense that my Dad is telling hidden stories, stories that are concealed underneath the bricks, which once-upon-a-time was sand. I believe that all of the stories lie in the sand. So the most iconic places of Bahrain for me are literally the sand and Muharraq.
tinyOm: We call our collection Land of Destiny. Can you tell us a little bit what destiny evokes for you?
Dalal: The concept of destiny is a very hopeful one. Being able to believe that what is yours will reach you no matter where it is in the world. Destiny is what has been written for us before we were even born. Our purpose. The goal is to find out what it is. Being able to believe in the idea that life occurrences are because of what’s written for you is a very soothing feeling.
tinyOm: Another word we use in the collection is joy. Can you tell us what brings you joy?
Dalal: I am also a firm believer that we are able to write our own destiny, based on our actions, our karma, what we put out to the universe, that itself is delightful to understand. Knowing that by being able to truly believe that if I put out good into the world I will receive good. So you give what you get. Happiness for me is feeling content. Things that bring joy to me are womanhood, sisterhood, family, friends, laughter, travel, adventures and most importantly just going to bed at night with no worries. I think that’s what joy is. The little blessings.
tinyOm: Finally, how would you define Bahrain to someone who has never visited the island?
Dalal: I would say, Bahrain, the land of the two seas, is a diverse island with a great love for community. Because it’s such a small island, everyone is in close proximity and knows each other so everyone wants to help out. Because their hearts are lenient on each other. Everyone wants to cooperate, everyone wants to shine and rise and we’re all here for it. It’s an island life, so the ocean is your playground and were blessed enough to be treated to the most beautiful sunsets. We love eating fish, which is the most common lunch dish in almost every household. And it’s an island surrounded by brown and blue, life is laid back and there’s a lot of sensation for community and family. And you kind of get the best of both worlds, it’s an island but you get the city life entertainment too, so its two-in-one.
Land of Destiny Collection
Dalal Al Najem Films: https://vimeo.com/dalalalnajem