THE REEF residency invites you to a screening of the recently published film The Bow Wake [Vala e Harkut], 2019, by artist, filmmaker, and writer Silvi Naçi. Following the screening, the artist will be in conversation with writer Leslie Dick.

During their research in Albania (2017-18) Naçi worked with and documented two LGBTQIA+ communities in Albania: the Burrnesha and the Alliance against Discrimination of LGBTQ an activist organization started by Xheni Karaj, based in Tirana.

The Bow Wake [Vala e Harkut] initially constructed as a two-channel installation, and screening at THE REEF as a one channel film, illustrates the connections and tensions between these communities, as well as a larger portrait of Albania and the cities and people Naçi visited. The film addresses complex issues surrounding expressions and perceptions of gender across cultures and histories. The investigation into the lives of Lali and Paloma is an endeavor that requires a persistent yet delicate approach, particularly as the film hones in on such an intimate and contentious subject. The juxtaposition of the footage of children playing alongside the lives of the LGBTQIA+ communities invites viewers into a nuanced, intercultural dialogue.

Leslie Dick is a writer who teaches in the Art Program at CalArts. She is on the Editorial Board of the art journal X-TRA.