Inge Driesen

Inge Driesen

Inge Driesen

Belgium

How are memories built in one’s mind? Which images of my daily life will stick? The series ‘It wasn’t a dream’ is a cinematic family study made in my own family, combined with shots of families in the township of Kliptown, South Africa. I didn’t only explore how things are now, but also how they could have been, a journey of longing and nostalgia. In this way I find beauty in everyday life. I’m touched by the way people are trying to make the best of their situation, without disregarding their dreams. The families in South Africa were strangers to me, though I managed to build up ties with them, even if they didn’t always speak a common language. What we always did have in common was motherhood, the basis on which the confidence was built. By focussing on intimate scenes of my own family life I invite you in. Nothing is set up, a lot of details the environment offers are used, but ‘It wasn’t a dream’ is not a documentary. Likewise, the pictures from Kliptown are fragments of daily life there and only partly reveal its reality. This way I create a trailer to reflect a certain atmosphere, the viewer is left the liberty to imagine the fascinating story behind it.