Frontlines
SYNOPSIS:
Meet Arabella Dorman, Britain’s only contemporary female war artist.
Far from the comforts of her Chelsea studio, Arabella has been embarking on a series of remarkable journeys, living with Britain’s soldiers on the front lines of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This year she is setting off on a very special second journey to Afghanistan: To use her art to tell the stories of Afghan civilians, their lives, their histories, and their plans for the future. How for them, despite consistent unrest, life goes on. As she travels, she will also use the opportunity to reflect on how their experiences compare with those of the soldiers she painted on her earlier visit.
Joining Arabella on this trip will be her husband Dominic, a cameraman / director who is planning to film the entire trip.
Using this trip as the backbone, this series will combine Arabella’s paintings of the soldiers in Helmund and the people of Afghanistan she encounters on her return. This will be the story of modern day Afghanistan through portraits of its people and the soldiers engaged in combat operations there.
She will meet and paint the local people living in Afghanistan; soldiers who have now returned home, and the families who have lost loved ones. And, with each drawing and painting, she hopes to bring out a new story, a new encounter, a new history, a new perspective.
Frontlines from Greg Atkins on Vimeo.
The Art
The production of each work of art will involve Arabella looking into that subject herself, and then extra filming and interviews afterwards to bring this further to life. For example:
Portraits - as Arabella sketches an Afghan civilian, the production of the portrait serves to break the ice, and enable Arabella to talk to them about their life. A local interpreter will be on hand to help facilitate this discussion. Once the ice has been broken during the painting process, a more in depth interview will be picked up afterwards. Arabella will also be asked to reflect on her experiences of drawing the subject,
what her ‘artist’s eye’ saw in their face, manner, expression.
Landscape/Local Scene/Historical Site - as Arabella works on her painting, she will describe what she sees in the scene, and what excites her about it. If she has any local knowledge about its significance, she may talk about it. Where possible and appropriate, locals will be asked to talk about the place or scene that Arabella is painting and encouraged to tell its history or a personal story.
The Emotional Experience
Whether she is meeting soldiers and their families in the UK or civilians in Afghanistan, this will be an emotional and engaging experience for Arabella. She will regularly be asked for her feedback on what has happened so far, what she is feeling and seeing, and what she hopes and anticipates ahead. This can be captured both while she is traveling and also as she is painting. However, there will also be set times when she will be asked to make these reflections - at the start and end of each day, and in vehicles traveling to new places and meetings.
The Journey
This will be an epic journey, traveling through some of the most beautiful, and at times, inhospitable terrain. The uncertainties involved in this travel will also form an important part of the film. Visually, key shots of the journey will be captured where possible, and Arabella will give us updates on where she is, where she is heading and where she has come from. Setbacks and frustrations as well as good fortune and surprises will be shared with the viewer, for example, high water levels in Wakhan may delay travel, whilst finding guides in Ishkashim might be blessed with amazing serendipity, or security concerns in Kabul may make visits to certain key places impossible. The viewer will be invited to share in Arabella’s own excitement and frustration as she embarks on this difficult journey.
The History, Politics, Culture, and Conflict
Arabella is no stranger to Afghanistan. She has already spent 3 weeks in Helmand Province at the front line of the war, and was able to witness not only the difficulties faced by the soldiers, but also the nascent attempts to build peace and government in the region. She is also well read on the history of Afghanistan and its current politics. Where appropriate, she will reflect on her thoughts, knowledge and opinions of these complex issues to try to put her experiences, and her art, into a wider context.
Whether she is meeting soldiers and their families in the UK or civilians in Afghanistan, this will be an emotional and engaging experience for Arabella. She will regularly be asked for her feedback on what has happened so far, what she is feeling and seeing, and what she hopes and anticipates ahead. This can be captured both while she is traveling and also as she is painting. However, there will also be set times when she will be asked to make these reflections - at the start and end of each day, and in vehicles traveling to new places and meetings.
The Journey
This will be an epic journey, traveling through some of the most beautiful, and at times, inhospitable terrain. The uncertainties involved in this travel will also form an important part of the film. Visually, key shots of the journey will be captured where possible, and Arabella will give us updates on where she is, where she is heading and where she has come from. Setbacks and frustrations as well as good fortune and surprises will be shared with the viewer, for example, high water levels in Wakhan may delay travel, whilst finding guides in Ishkashim might be blessed with amazing serendipity, or security concerns in Kabul may make visits to certain key places impossible. The viewer will be invited to share in Arabella’s own excitement and frustration as she embarks on this difficult journey.
The History, Politics, Culture, and Conflict
Arabella is no stranger to Afghanistan. She has already spent 3 weeks in Helmand Province at the front line of the war, and was able to witness not only the difficulties faced by the soldiers, but also the nascent attempts to build peace and government in the region. She is also well read on the history of Afghanistan and its current politics. Where appropriate, she will reflect on her thoughts, knowledge and opinions of these complex issues to try to put her experiences, and her art, into a wider context.