Film still of "Saffron Tea"

Saffron Tea (2008) is a strongly autobiographical single channel video, drawing on both personal and cultural history. Dreamy and ethereal scenes of a serene domestic space lull the viewer into an almost overwhelming sense of comfort. An antique fan, armchairs draped with doilies, and women fanning themselves allude to a safe setting imbued by a strong matriarchal presence. The viewer is jolted out of this soporific reverie as they are confronted with the stark visual of the dreamer submerged in a tank of water inside an empty room. The abrupt contrast of these images conveys an incredible sense of displacement and longing, suggesting the insuperable isolation from a memory of childhood happiness.