VUB seeks migrants to share old family videos

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the University of Antwerp are asking families with a migrant background to share their old home videos for a new research project aimed at "documenting an overlooked piece of history".

“Holiday trips, weddings, everyday scenes… Homemade films from the family archive are treasure troves of memories, big and small,” the universities said in a joint statement.

Titled HomeFrames, the project is supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and hopes to capture "forgotten footage" recorded between 1944 and 1974.

“For a long time, migration history was described from an outsider’s perspective,” said Brussels-based researcher Maryam Kamal Hedayat (VUB).

“Amateur films tell the story through the lens of the migrants themselves. In this way, they reveal new perspectives and give a voice to those who are otherwise rarely heard.”

The researchers launched a large-scale appeal for relevant footage.

“We’re looking for amateur films in private collections,” said Lieve Willekens (UAntwerp).

“In this way, we hope to find films that we can study, digitise, possibly screen and preserve.

"We always work on a case-by-case basis and with the trust of the film owners. Not everyone wants their home movie to be screened, and we will respect that."

The researchers also want to conduct interviews with people involved in the films, whether they are the filmmakers themselves or the second or even third generation who have preserved the home movies.

Anyone with relevant footage who wishes to submit it is encouraged to contact the researchers via email at homeframesproject@gmail.com