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
Shot from video: Casting My Father scene 6.
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
