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On this episode of Indie Film Weekly, Glen Reynolds and Jason Connell speak with Colette Ghunim about her debut feature documentary Traces of Home, which follows her taking her Mexican mother and Palestinian father back to the homes they were forced to leave as children, evolving into an exploration of displacement, intergenerational trauma, and healing.
Ghunim explains the project’s origins in cultural-root seeking, its deepening during the 2017 refugee ban and border separations, her parents’ differing comfort levels returning, and how the camera enabled difficult family conversations, aided by her father’s 100+ hours of VHS footage and animated sequences created by Lebanese and Mexican animators.
They discuss mentorship via Kartemquin Films, festival responses, DOC NYC Grand Jury Prize, and distribution with Watermelon Pictures.
Traces of Home begins a theatrical rollout on Sept. 16 in New York (Angelika) and Sept. 25 in Los Angeles (Laemmle), with further cities listed at tracesofhome.com.
00:00 Welcome and Setup
01:14 Meet Colette Ghunim
01:52 Origins of the Film
03:01 Convincing Her Parents
04:36 Becoming a Filmmaker
06:00 Mentors and Influences
07:17 Camera as Healing Tool
09:37 VHS Archive Deep Dive
10:31 Finding the Story in Edit
11:49 Personal Meets Political
13:43 Family Feedback and Aftermath
17:09 Animation Choices
18:41 Festivals and Audience Reactions
20:38 Distribution and Producers
22:50 What’s Next for Collette
23:54 Quick Cuts Moviegoing Game
26:28 Final Cut What Is Home
27:08 Release Dates and Farewell
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