Standing behind the black curtain, the viewer is given a chance to emotionally prepare before being confronted with three screens in the main space. The first screen plays a video of an older man gardening, which is used as a metaphor for the paternal relationship - loving, caring, patient, nurturing, neglectful. Or possibly Bennet is highlighting the absence of these qualities in the relationships between the contributing BAME women and their fathers. The middle screen displays fabricated family scenes, the dining table being the main symbol of family life. Bennet exemplifies how the communal act of eating together does not always bring a family closer through an emphasis on silence, tension, and averted eyes. The final screen shows the transcript of the audio which plays alongside the video. In the transcript, Bennett and many other BAME women and non-binary voices navigate and describe their complicated patrilineal relationships. The viewer’s gaze is divided between these three screens making it difficult to focus on everything at once. This mimics the split of love and attention between parents, children, and partners. There are numerous perspectives and testimonies in the artwork. Organised by Bennet, they conducted multiple gatherings organised across the UK to hear historically silenced voices. This makes the viewer reconsider their own paternal relationship. The stories shared are complicated and diverse; referencing grief, resentment, and admiration within love and how many different emotions and opinions can coexist. In my personal experience, it was a cathartic aspect of the film to consider the dichotomies within my own relationship with my father.
The smaller room within the exhibition space only has one screen so the viewer’s attention is undivided. The beginning of the film shows domestic objects with no sound, while the camera’s focus blurs in and out. The start of the piece is slow, which I see as Bennett requiring the viewer’s assiduity just as a child needs a parent’s attention. In this way, the patience to watch the film simulates the time spent with a distant family member and the tolerance we must have for the people that we love and live with, even when the relationship isn’t easy. The audio paired with this film is a poem written by Bennett after the recording, referencing the creative process, making it feel as if we are looking upon a memory with nostalgia.
