VUB and UA Seek Family Videos from Migrants

Why this is here: The HomeFrames project specifically seeks amateur films created between 1944 and 1974, a period often overlooked in studies of migration to Belgium.

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Antwerp are requesting home videos from families with migration backgrounds in Belgium. Both universities aim to map an underrepresented part of history through this new research project, called HomeFrames. They hope the films reveal migrant experiences from the filmmakers’ perspectives.

The project, funded by the Fund for Scientific Research, focuses on amateur films created between 1944 and 1974. Researchers are seeking footage of everyday life, vacations, and celebrations. They plan to digitize and preserve the films, working directly with owners to respect their wishes regarding public display.

Researchers also intend to conduct interviews with filmmakers and subsequent generations who have kept the films. Currently, the team acknowledges the challenge of locating and accessing these private collections. The work to gather and analyze these materials continues as they seek a more complete picture of migration history.