Saturday, July 29th 2023
The heat is cool on us, and everything in the city can almost breathe again. Summer traffic swells the surrounding streets, but behind these brick walls our ideas have the freedom to roam and do as they please. The bones of this place are made up of metal, concrete, and scrap, and it’s an unspoken truth that this is where visions are born as abruptly as they can die. Prepared to stay awhile, each of us is greeted at the door with a smile that leads us up the stairs, to the right, then to the left. Quite and in our own worlds as we settle in, Relicious folds each outfit with the intention that they’ll be worn with esteem and care. Hanna sits comfortably alone with her reflection in the mirror. Jana is on standby. Me, a fly on the wall. & Han with a VHS in her hand — she is the eyes, and the reason we gather.
Shortly after, Jasmine arrives. Now, her, Relicious, and I are spectators as Hanna stretches her body forward, backward, then side to side. She’s as ready as she’ll ever be, and Han is ready to play with light, limbs, and shadows. Jasmine assists her, bending that same light like she has the sun in her hands. It’s endearing to watch the chemistry between friends, because it’s one thing to know your face, but it’s another to have someone else know it just as well, if not a little better, than you. Four shots in, Han sneaks over to grab her other camera, looking as if she has a secret she’s been dying to tell. She instructs us to form a circle and to take a deep breath, the heat is cool on us and the interview begins.
Throughout Han and Hanna’s conversation, it is undeniable how much joy fills the room. Their soft voices stretch from corner to corner as Hanna speaks about her experience in front of the camera. Despite living in one of her handful of dreams, it is the question, “How are you doing today?”, that moves her the most. “No one ever asks me how I’m actually doing”, says Hanna, and each of us are reminded of the importance of the little things that make up everywhere. This moment is more than remembrance, but the awareness of how far she’s actually come.
Written by Poet and Author Angelica Heaney
#freepalestine (<- Click to Learn More)
(to be continued)…