CHAxART is delighted to collaborate with filmmaker and visual artist Biyi Zhu for the screening event of her recent documentary ‘Zoekjaar’, named after the type of residency permit designed for highly-educated, non-EU citizens, the likes of whom the film features. The screening will take place on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th, from 3p.m. onwards. More descriptions of the event are as follows.

This is a story from Biyi’s own experience. A self-portrait documentary of a China-born and Amsterdam based female video artist and designer, showing her situation of the time in her research orientation year (Zoekjaar) after her Master studies.

Through this documentary, Biyi exposes her own struggles and dilemma of finding her way through the Dutch landscape in hope of resulting in a permanent stay in the Netherlands. An added challenge presents itself when finding out her mother back in China is diagnosed with lung cancer…

Carrying a self-made camera setup following her everywhere she goes, Biyi transforms her struggles into something meaningful and productive using her creativity and willpower. Using film as her creative medium, she starts reaching out to her peers in similar situations and from different backgrounds. Through interviewing and following her subjects throughout their daily lives, she explores their different stories, motivations, fears and desires. Through her journey, she tries to show us how we can free ourselves from isolation and insecurity when we see these are not just our own.

This film project has been funded by Amsterdam Fonds voor Kunst.