22 Words

Video installation, 8 minutes, 2023

As a father teaches Urdu (national language of Pakistan) words to his daughter, what starts off like a language lesson intended for a 6-year-old, reveals something deeper, hinting at themes of cultural loss, immigrant life and the father's longing to belong. Based on the video installation Rough Translations, the audio portion of this work was commissioned by the BBC podcast Short Cuts.

Watch a 3-minute excerpt: