Behind the Piece with Alisa Harvey

When Mna first approached me with visualizing her story Hekayat Mama, we brainstormed a few different forms the piece could take. Outside of this project, I write and draw comics, which is an art form that is all about the tension between what is written, what is seen, and what emotions they elicit when paired together. So our initial ideas for Hekayat Mama were comics-related — to make a book, or write the story on a wall with illustrated panels. We knew we wanted to combine the words with images, but ultimately a 2D medium felt lacking. Incorporating sound and motion felt like the most natural way to capture the heart of the story, so we chose to create a short film. 

Snippet of Hekayat Mama: “Mnatalla’s father telling a joke”

Film and videos are my favorite art form because they include time, motion, and sound, which can be used to punctuate feelings. In Hekayat Mama, we used Mna’s narration, her sister Hager’s audio editing, and my drawings in conjunction to evoke emotion in each scene. We also worked hard to make every illustration true to life, even if most viewers wouldn’t know the backstory. The scene of Mna’s late father shows how he used to joke that he couldn’t find her in her tiny room, and the movies in the VCR store frames are all Eldaas family favorites. My mom is Japanese so I drew the two of us walking under the moon rabbit, which is a figure in Japanese folklore. 

Snippet of Hekayat Mama: “A brief scene of Mnatalla’s mother in the VCR store featuring some of their favorite films.”

For me, hearing someone’s voice without seeing them is inherently intimate, a private reception of something distinct to that person. Mna once told me that her dad’s voicemails are the most precious thing she has left of him, and I think many people who have lost a loved one would agree. When watching Hekayat Mama, hearing Mna’s voice tell her story adds an undercurrent of intimacy that can’t be replaced by anything else. There’s beauty in the fact that subjective experiences are unique to each individual, yet sharing them brings everyone closer together. That's what we aimed to do with Hekayat Mama. 

Snippet of Hekayat Mama: “Alisa and her mother walking under the Moon Rabbit, a figure in Japanese Folklore”