We’ve been caught between two places, swinging in the middle, trying to build something like a home. During this time, I watch my mother with her scissors, cutting her friends’ hair as they always ask her to. She is not a hairdresser and never has been, but here in exile they only trust each other’s hands.
I listen to their conversations, about love and hate, joy and pain, many stories of the war and what they went through. Together they created this small family, a home with no ground. Here I stay in between and I feel that I could belong again.
By following women in exile as they cut each other’s hair, the project aims to explore their lives, shedding light on their stories, memories, and emotions. It showcases their mutual support and resilience as they rebuild a new home with no ground beneath them, serving as an intimate exploration of exile from a deeply personal perspective.
Sara Kontar is a Syrian artist, photographer, and filmmaker who has been based in France since 2016. She holds a Master's degree in Animation Cinema from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris (ENSAD).
Her work encompasses documentary and artistic photography, with international exhibitions and recognition, including the Inge Morath Award. She is also an alumna of Magnum Foundation and VII Foundation.
Her film 3350 KM is her first experimental documentary, selected in various international festivals. Earlier experimental video works have been showcased at venues such as the Centre Pompidou and Palais de Tokyo.
Kontar's work delves into her roots and the experience of exile, conveying human emotions from a personal and intimate perspective.