Three CAN artists created exciting new performance pieces exploring language and home at Manchester Museum.
In February audiences were lucky to get a sneak-peek preview of the work-in-progress of three CAN artists, Abas Eljanabi, Farjana Kabir, Louison Kangombe, when their short films exploring their deep connection to their language and identity were filmed as part of THE MOTHER TONGUE IS HUNGRY in Manchester City of Literature’s online celebrations of the UN’s International Mother Tongue Day. Hunger used Manchester Museum as its inspiration.
Abas Eljanabi’s powerful film explored identities and the power of language through a film featuring a monologue written in 1969 by an Egyptian writer which is still censored to this day.
“How big is the responsibility when we say a word…it’s like a promise and a promise is a word.”
Farjana Kabir’s film travelled between her home in Greater Manchester and Bangladesh, her country of birth, through a FaceTime conversation with her best friend in Dhaka, and the pain of missing home, friends, and family.
Louison Kangombe shared the story of the language Kingala and its development as the dominant language in DR Congo.
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