What drives me - Katrin Esser

I am working on a documentary film about dementia as part of the Graduate School for Moving Image (GBB) at the School of Art and Design in Kassel. The experiences of those affected and their relatives are so individual and complex that I decided to take a personal perspective. The protagonist of my film is the caregiver of my mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. She lived with my parents for two months every two months for over a year until my mother died. I want to make this form of care - especially the work of such carers - visible. Because a lot of changes are needed here. My film is intended to convey the dichotomy between the plight of those affected and their relatives and the necessity of such a service on the one hand and the extremely problematic working conditions on the other. My film makes no claim to objectivity; rather, it is made up of fragments and is not linear but associative - like a search for clues as to the feelings and needs of those affected and what constitutes dignified care. Many people have no idea what "artistic research" means at first. For me, the similarity to scientific work lies in the intensive examination of self-chosen questions, also in the comprehensive research that precedes my work. I spent months studying specialist literature and conducting interviews on my topic. But the result is different: an artistic work has a different, more open form that creates space for diverse interpretations.

I came to GBB in 2021 because I didn't want to do a classic master student program in an institutional setting. After my studies in Leipzig, I was already working as a freelance artist and had already built up a network. That's why the open structures of the GBB appealed to me. The focus here is on exchange and our wishes and ideas. The great thing about the School of Art and Design and the state of Hesse is that young filmmakers and cinematic works are particularly supported here. The film about dementia will be my final project. It was an incredible luxury to have two years to work on a project in such a supportive network - artists don't usually have that.

This article appeared in the university magazine publik 2023/3. protocol: Lisa-Maxine Klein

You can see the final projects and other works here: Exhibition "Crossfading | Bodies: Digital Echoes, Analog Shadows" from 20.10. to 5.11. at the Kasseler Kunstverein

More info at:

• screen-sharing.net
• School of Art and Design Kassel