In My Mother's House

In My Mother's House presents the longue durée of Euro-Atlantic, and African societies and histories, from unique points of view, indirectly, in the light of particular events and encounters of a large diasporic American-Eritrean-Italian family. These encounters are intimate and direct so that the viewer feels intrigued while being challenged to learn more. The attention is to individuals and conversations in actual, spontaneous, unrehearsed settings. 

The story unfolds chronologically, making the viewer privy to the filmmakers' knowledge. Building on each previous scene unexpected new development occurs in every subsequent segment. From Providence, USA to Carrara (Italy) and Asmara (Eritrea) the scenario turns from conversations in cramped living rooms and events surrounding everyday life in villages and towns, family memories to details of history and politics. 

The dramatic ending completes the story but does not resolve the initial puzzle. The film shifts attention from mother to father, to daughter, and in the end to the daughter's quest to find the hidden histories of her large, scattered family with an eye to understanding the meaning of events and the pattern of individual lives. Lina is both protagonist and observer, and through her efforts, we succeed in seeing individual fates play out against a broad canvas of different societies and histories. A spare and often poetic narration does not merely clarify but complements the visual detail and synchronous sound, highlighting the protagonists' experience.