At Home But Not At Home

Born and raised in the United States, artist Suneil Sanzgiri has never visited India, his father’s country of origin. In this video, he explores the emotional memories tied to his family’s diaspora: his father was 18 years old when, in 1961, the last remaining Portuguese colonizers were expelled from Goa. Using strategies typical of desktop documentary, At Home But Not At Home skillfully combines 16mm footage, drone aerial shots over the territory of Goa, excerpts from films of the Indian independent cinema movement Parallel Cinema, and a Skype interview with the artist’s father. By employing various methods and modes of viewing, the film reflects on the construction of memory and identity through moving images, while also connecting a personal biography to a broader postcolonial history that links India with the liberation movements in Angola and Mozambique.