Self-Portrait
Documentary, 67 minutes, 2022
Directed by Joële Walinga
What do our cameras say about us? As a tapestry of footage collected from surveillance cameras over the last four years, Self-Portrait moves from moment to moment around the world, beginning with the frozen storminess of winter, to the melt of spring, the lush heat of summer, and finally the decay and cooling of autumn: the dawn of winter. The film shows a candid peek at humanity through what we've chosen to document – all of these cameras set up for primarily capitalistic, "property"-protecting purposes, but yielding a beauty and a truth – an incidental portrait.
Made with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
Presented with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Telefilm Canada
Documentary, 67 minutes, 2022
Directed by Joële Walinga
What do our cameras say about us? As a tapestry of footage collected from surveillance cameras over the last four years, Self-Portrait moves from moment to moment around the world, beginning with the frozen storminess of winter, to the melt of spring, the lush heat of summer, and finally the decay and cooling of autumn: the dawn of winter. The film shows a candid peek at humanity through what we've chosen to document – all of these cameras set up for primarily capitalistic, "property"-protecting purposes, but yielding a beauty and a truth – an incidental portrait.
Made with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
Presented with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Telefilm Canada
Available on MUBI (US, Canada)
Watch trailer–2022. SXSW Film Festival. Austin, Texas
–2022. Prismatic Ground. New York City, New York
–2022. Chattanooga Film Festival. Chattanooga, Tennessee
–2022. Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. Jihlava, Czech Republic
–2022. RIDM. Montréal, Canada *Special Jury Prize, National Feature
–2023. MDFF Selects in partnership with TIFF. Toronto, Canada
Documentary Filmmaker Joele Walinga Finds Accidental Beauty in Security Camera Footage. Variety
"Self-Portrait", a self-portrait taken from surveillance cameras. Le Devoir
Self-Portrait Review: Four Seasons of Surveillance. POV Magazine
Self-Portrait — Joële Walinga. In Review Online
SXSW ’22: “Self-Portrait” director on the “incidental beauty” of surveillance. Realscreen
SXSW ’22: Janet Pierson, Jim Kolmar talk documentary lineup. Realscreen
‘Self-Portrait’: Debut Trailer For SXSW Premiere Comprised Of Surveillance Footage. Deadline
–2022. Prismatic Ground. New York City, New York
–2022. Chattanooga Film Festival. Chattanooga, Tennessee
–2022. Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. Jihlava, Czech Republic
–2022. RIDM. Montréal, Canada *Special Jury Prize, National Feature
–2023. MDFF Selects in partnership with TIFF. Toronto, Canada
Documentary Filmmaker Joele Walinga Finds Accidental Beauty in Security Camera Footage. Variety
"Self-Portrait", a self-portrait taken from surveillance cameras. Le Devoir
Self-Portrait Review: Four Seasons of Surveillance. POV Magazine
Self-Portrait — Joële Walinga. In Review Online
SXSW ’22: “Self-Portrait” director on the “incidental beauty” of surveillance. Realscreen
SXSW ’22: Janet Pierson, Jim Kolmar talk documentary lineup. Realscreen
‘Self-Portrait’: Debut Trailer For SXSW Premiere Comprised Of Surveillance Footage. Deadline