I lay down in the sleeping bunk
My heart screams with pain
I remember our moments
Our happy, cheerful moments
Every night I dream of you
Because I want you
I want you so much
This song is about freedom
It gives us strength
We dream of freedom during the nights
And look beyond the tears
This song is about freedom
And we dream about it
We hope the time will come
When freedom will embrace us
This project is inspired by Polish folklore. It creates a fantastic reality that constitutes as an escape mechanism for dealing with trauma.
When she was 13 years old, her familiar world collapsed and underwent an inhuman journey. During World War II, Sonia was torn from her family and childhood in Poland. What little remains she had, were buried in her memories and heart, while she wore the mask that hid her traumas.
Now, a new fantasy world is revealed alongside her life story which until today, has never been told. The story takes place in a forest, which contains within it both fairy magic and it's adversary, dark witches magic. Meanwhile, in a parallel world, we see the memories rise from her time in the forests of Poland.
In medieval times, word-of-mouth stories evolved into folklore, which played an educational and moral role for children. The storytelling curated within it, a solidary encounter between the individuals who sought to preserve memories and pass them on to the next generations. The way in which Sonia bequeaths her personal narrative from her childhood, mimics the way stories and beliefs were inherited in order to strengthen personal and rooted identities.
When opening Pandora's box, in which the memories of the past are buried, a person is engulfed by their traumas. Whereas, connecting present interpretation, with the concrete past and Polish folklore, offers the possibility of living with one's demons, instead of expelling them.
This project received a mark of "Bezalel in existence and community" at 2021 final assignments acknowledgement, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
