Amaal Said: Open Country
Amaal Said’s film Open Country follows a Somali mother and daughter who set out from their London home along the Old Kent Road, tracing the Pilgrims’ Way into Bexley, North Kent, and beyond. The daughter plans to record an audio cassette diary for her grandmother, who is back home in Somalia and in ill health. Hoping to ease her mother’s worries and lift her spirits, she uses the journey as a way to bring joy and to help her focus on the road ahead.
Inspired by a longing to connect with family abroad, the film explores the tension between being present in the here and now and yearning for another place.
Amaal Said is a London-based multidisciplinary artist; her photography has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New Yorker. Open Country will be accompanied by three still images of mother and daughter in The National Trust’s Red House, one location from the film, that speak to connection, distance, and longing.
Join us for the exhibition launch on Friday 27 March from 6pm – 8pm, including a short talk from the artist and an alcohol-free drinks reception.
Commissioned for The Open Road by Film and Video Umbrella, Forma and Three Rivers. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
The Open Road is commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella, The Amelia Scott, Cement Fields, FLAMIN, Forma, and Three Rivers. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
fvu.co.uk/projects/open-country
fvu.co.uk/projects/the-open-road
About the Artist
Amaal Said is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose work encompasses visual storytelling and community engagement. Born in Denmark to Somali parents, her photography has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New Yorker.
She has exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions; Home is Elsewhere / From Where I’ve Ended Up at the Departure Lounge in Luton, 2022 and If I Could Get To You at Brighton Digital Festival, 2021. She received the Southwark Council’s I Create grant for her film Notes on Getting Home in 2022, exhibited at Southwark Heritage Centre and Walworth Library in 2023, as well as group exhibitions AFRICAN LENS VOLUME 4 at the Nubuke Foundation, Accra in 2018 and #GirlGaze: A Frame of Mind at Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles in 2017.
As a Picture Researcher at Hyphen, she curates visuals to amplify Muslim narratives. Amaal holds an MA in Art & Politics from Goldsmiths and a BA in Politics from SOAS and is a Barbican Young Poet Alumni.
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