Even though I never knew my biological parents growing up, I never felt the urge or the need to actually meet them. But when my foster dad passed away a year and a half ago, I realised I had another dad I could turn to. But I knew nothing about him. “What does he do for a living? What kind of music does he listen to? What kind of movies does he like? Do I actually look like him?”
These questions kept echoing through my mind. But there was one question that stuck with me Do I actually want to meet him? For my graduating project at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, I decided to find out who my biological father actually is and if I would really want to meet him. Without meeting him, I dove into the life of my biological father.
Through conversations with old employees, friends and family of my father, I found out more and more about my father and his life. After gathering all this information, I carefully selected seven events in my dad’s life that I believe has shaped him into the person he is today. For my graduating project I created 7 different scripts of these 7 important events in my dad’s life for 9 different actors all auditioning for the role of my father. Through these auditions I get to meet my father 7 times in 7 different moments in his life.
To see the videos click here
Vice wrote an article about my work! click here
ADCN wrote an article about my work click here
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Shot from video: Casting My Father scene 6.
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Installation test at the Willem de Kooning Academy
Concept: Naomi Brusselman
Script and Directing: Naomi Brusselman and Evani Gilds
Camera: Ralph Lindsen and Tiffany Wederfoort
Edit: Tiffany Wederfoort
Installation: Naomi Brusselman