(un)borderings
Aria Danaparamita, Mariana Duarte, Alex Nevill, Ahmad Al Shehabi
20-27 June | Time: See Event Info | Venue: TBC
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ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
At a time of rising far-right violence and harsher immigration policies against people who have made the UK home, this exhibition creates space to reflect on how borders shape our communities.
The programme brings together four film and moving image works:
'Dover 82' by Aria Danaparamita
‘Headland' by Mariana Duarte
'Notes From Brook House' by Alex Nevill
‘Witness' by Ahmad Al Shehabi.
Traversing the English Channel, sites of detention, and personal family archives, the films explore the material and emotional landscapes of borders and invite reflection on care, compassion and justice for migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees.
Sunday 21 June: Mapping Belonging Workshop
As part of this exhibition, the (un)borderings team will be hosting a workshop on Sunday 21 June. You can find more information about this here.
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This exhibition forms a part of our full exhibition & installation line-up at The Montgomery, including:
Interior Landscapes - by Jack Owen and City of Sanctuary Sheffield
The Union Jila Project - Komarine Romdenh-Romluc and Ian Nesbitt
(un)borderings - by Aria Danaparamita, Mariana Duarte, Alex Nevill, Ahmad Al Shehabi
The Matter of Migration - by Frontier Media with Liz Von Graevenitz
Our Yard Foundations Pop Up - by Our Yard
Exhibition Opening Times:
Weekends = 11:00 - 16:00
Weekdays (Monday to Friday) = 12:00 - 16:00
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Mita is a queer migrant lens-based artist, writer, and community organiser from Indonesia. A critical storyteller with international journalism and human rights expertise, their personal and community-based practice engages art as poetic resistance for collective liberation, often through the lens of land, place, and belonging. Bringing impactful storytelling into advocacy, they advise human rights organisations on policy and campaigns while engaged in grassroots organising.
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Mariana is a Brazilian filmmaker based in Scotland, whose work spans creative documentary and scripted formats with a focus on borders, ecology, and lived experience. A Berlinale Talents alumna, her films have been showcased at festivals such as Edinburgh, Aspen Shortsfest, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. Her recent short, Headland, was commissioned by the Scottish Documentary Institute and won Best Mini-Doc at the Big Sky Doc Fest in 2025. Mariana is completing a PhD by practice in film at Edinburgh College of Art, focusing on migrant cinema.
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Alex is a director of photography and filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has been involved with several independent feature films and numerous short projects with a focus on creative non-fiction and artist's moving image work. His previous films include commissions from Creative England, Channel 4, Film London and have screened at international film festivals such as BFI London, Edinburgh, Palm Springs and IDFA. Alongside this, Alex is a Lecturer in Film and Moving Image at Edinburgh College of Art.
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Born a refugee in a Palestinian camp in Syria, Ahmad fled with his family before his teenage years, becoming part of a new generation of displaced people. This shaped him and fueled his passion for storytelling. In recent years, Ahmad has focused on film, and worked as a Director of Photography. Currently based in Gothenburg in Sweden. His works have been featured at local film festivals, reflecting his ability to reach people with his thoughtfully crafted and engaging stories.
EVENT INFO
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Free Entry
You don’t need a ticket to visit the exhibitions at Migration Matters Festival. Just visit The Montgomery and enjoy your time.
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Saturday & Sunday Opening Times:
11:00 - 16:00Monday to Friday Opening Times:
12:00 - 16:00 -
Accessibility Information to be updated soon.
If you have any questions about your access needs in the meantime, please contact info@migrationmattersfestival.co.uk using the subject line ‘Accessibility at the festival’
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Age Guidance: 12+
Content Warnings: the films contain mention of war, displacement, border violence, immigration detention, racism, mentions of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
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Image Still Credits
Image 1: Aria Danaparamita
Image 2: Mariana Duarte
Image 3: Alexander Nevill
Image 4: Ahmad Al Shehabi