Qusay Awad and Nabil Altawil reimagine grainy footage of demonstrations in Syria and struggles against German police. They close their eyes inside a nondescript Berlin flat. An intoxicating mix of archive and surreal images erupts. They break into conversation. The line between the real and the performed becomes increasingly blurred. Is this just a dream?
The whispered narration focuses more on existential reflections rather than literal descriptions of the moments of political turmoil being captured on camera. Resistance is seen through the hazy lens of memory. Qusay and Nabil wonder about how we can possibly “move on” after confronting such massive injustices. The footage is specific to their experiences, but the scope of their ramblings is broad. It prods at global complacency. Uncompromising and patient, Why Do I See You In Everything? makes very clever use of phone recordings. The final product isn’t concerned with finding answers but instead a nod to companionship (ie having someone with you during moments of political unrest). The body of a comrade-in-arms weighs on your conscience.
This is not a film without shortcomings. It often feels rough around the edges. Some of the material archive – such as the background information about the Syrian conflicts – feels vaguely discxonnected fro the central topic. The collage of unrest in Syria and Germany becomes a little repetitive, particularly in the third act. The film lacks kinetic energy and struggles to find novel ways to convey emotion, relying too heavily on the voiceover. And the story loses some of its focus once it incorporates CCTV images.
The final sequence is wondrous. It helps to rescue this audacious piece of filmmaking from its discernible pitfalls. It reframes the core relationship between these two characters, and returns to top[ics established in the introduction. Qusay and Nabil remind the audience that, despite the horrors of our global political moment, tender care is the most powerful weapon.
Why Do I See You in Everything? premiered in the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam.
