IRINA

„I am not afraid of expressing myself anymore.
The rhythm is going through every cell of my body, it touches my soul, my mind.
With every move I’m shedding layers of a cocoon.
I am letting go
I am not holding back
My senses sharpen, I glide through the grass, my steps become faster and faster, flipping, twirling, circling – I take a deep breath.

I am woman
I am free”
- Irina Seydel

Together with Irina we developed this short film about liberating yourself from an old identity and stepping into a new sense of self. Through dancing Irina feels confident, feminine and powerful in her body. This projects represents a mark in Irina’s life of syncing into her true identity as a woman after deciding to start her transitioning process a few years ago. She leaves behind the weeping willow at the end of the video which symbolises grief and mourning but is also associated with immortality and rebirth.

This project was created as a part of the Artistic Research Program "Vienna Queerstories" of the Austrian Filmmuseum and the department of Applied Photography and Time-Based Media at the University of Applied Arts.