The Amsterdam based artist Marjolein Busstra is not bound by the restrictions of one medium; it is not by definition a photograph or a film. It all depends on the subject matter and how she wants to lure the viewer into her perspective. Her work has been exhibited at important venues and directed documentaries, that received global appraisal including tributes from international film festivals like DOK.fest München, Movies that Matter and Watch Docs.
Aiming to unravel identity structures and representations, she captures stories touching on universal themes such as human rights, dislocation, and political and cultural exclusion. Although these are somewhat heavy subjects, Marjolein’s work always has a touch of humanity, humour and personality.
After her participation at the IDFA Academy 2019, Marjolein directed her newest documentary We Don’t Talk which premiered in 2022 at Movies that Matter. The documentary was nominated for the Grand Jury Documentary Award and part of Movies that Matter on Tour. The film made an impact and reached the House of Representatives during the Sexual Violence debate in which six new motions were passed unanimously.
In April and May 2022 she had a solo-exhibition in Melkweg Expo Amsterdam with the multimedia project We don`t talk.
Marjolein Busstra followed the lives of minors entangled in complex networks of sexual violence. Can the old, unprocessed memory be overwritten and processed by going back to to the locations where they felt extremely unsafe, by the collaborative act of photographing?
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