Samra Šabanović is a Bosnian-Finnish visual artist and filmmaker based in Helsinki. She has been working in various mediums, including photography, film, video, research, drawing, and 2d animation. In 2019 she co-founded the image-based research project “I was there but you didn’t see me” exhibiting in public spaces, galleries and museums in the Helsinki region. Samra’s artistic approach is characterized by a blend of self-deprecating humor, immersive absurdism, the concept of refusal as a political act, and meta elements that reflect a sense of doubt. Currently she is working on two new films.
At the festival we’ll see Šabanović’s film “I Need to Tell You Something”. It’s a short fiction/experimental film that through absurdity and repetition explores communication, relationships, and the existential absurdity of human connection. The story follows a couple, played by Laura Faarinen and Anssi Kömi, as they struggle to express themselves in a world where everything—including them—is labeled with post-it notes. Seiji Kokeguchi’s original score enhances the film’s melancholic undertones while adding a sense of playfulness. The film was co-produced with Academy of Moving People and Images.
Curators’ Comments: “Šabanović’s film charms with its boldly simple premise, which, through repetition, transforms into an experimental portrayal of the challenges in human connection.”
