To my handful of fans: proactively liking, sharing and subscribing is super important, as:

1. it shows support, which motivates me to continue

2. it helps my little bottles thrown into the ocean of the web reach new shores. There are people on those shores who will be happy to discover my little films in those little bottles. Do them a favor. All the more so since this Substack is totally free, generating no income. More on sharing below.

Now, you can take a relaxing, quiet three-minute break, and, preferably on a good screen, meet Bakhtiar.

While I was supposed to film someone else who didn’t show up, Bakhtiar was quietly sitting in this Geneva square. So I turned to him and offered to film him, which he accepted without a moment’s hesitation. This always feels extraordinary, and it happens almost every time I meet a stranger with my camera. Thank you, Bakhtiar.

That is how Bakhtiar spontaneously started singing, then ended up telling me, and therefore all of us, that his body contains bomb fragments as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.
(Independent filmmaking, real-life storytelling, and more).

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention, please share, like, and engage widely! Only your sharing and that of your friends can bring the films to life, that is by building lively connections with viewers. They need your creative involvement, preferably in person: word of mouth is a good way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Farsi to English translation of this particular film was supervised with the gracious help of Akhtar Akhgar.

Music by Jérôme Chauvel and Liécio Rodriguez, sourced from Pixabay and used under a royalty-free license.

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Films, Human-Made | Human stories through independent filmmaking | www.ericvan.com

➤ Texte français plus bas

In Tintin’s rocket, which carries him and his companions to the Moon, the twin detectives Thomson and Thompson float in zero gravity. To avoid being thrown around when the engine restarts, they should hold on to something solid. But, ignoring the conditions of their environment, they cling to each other instead. When the acceleration begins, they are violently thrown to the floor.

So human, isn’t it? This brilliant scene imagined by Hergé is a striking metaphor for both egocentrism and anthropocentrism, which drive humans to see only themselves in a universe that surpasses them and keeps moving on. And yet, Thomson and Thompson are twins — not even enemies.

The following essay, rather theoretical, which I wrote, resonates with the words of Lijana, very real, who testifies in a film I made and recently published here. In it, she affirms that a person has an inner life that escapes categorization, and that it was by seeing that our differences form a whole, like “the moon and the sun”, that she was able to recognize herself.

The political and symbolic order that has structured the world for centuries has reached its expiration date: it no longer works. This order is based on assignment: to a nation, a culture, a history, an origin. It calls “identity” what is in fact an imposition, a form of capture. It continues to unfold as if nothing had changed, displaying an ideal of freedom that it contradicts at every moment.

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Contradicting

This is the central contradiction: we praise individual autonomy and responsibility while defining people by their birth. Place, language, family, nationality: none of this is freely chosen, yet it constrains, directs, and defines. Identity becomes the mask of early belonging, of an imposed identification. “Identity” comes from the Latin *idem*: the same. Historically, the term applied to what remained constant. Serfs, without family names, were interchangeable. Their place was defined by function: it was the order that identified them, not their personal story.

The word “identity” wavers between two contradictory meanings: on one hand, what remains the same; on the other, what distinguishes an individual or a group. This shift turns imposed belonging into chosen uniqueness. The paradox becomes a lever: it transforms assignment into apparent autonomy. It facilitates the internalization of an assigned place, until freedom and conformity become indistinguishable.

Confusing

The first meaning already creates confusion: by suggesting that everyone is identical or similar to other members of a group, it overlooks the fact that, even if our appearances resemble each other, our inner lives often differ radically. The equality proclaimed by democracies overlays this idea and reinforces the illusion of homogeneous communities. But the search for the “same” in the “other” is often futile and disappointing. Acknowledging from the start each person’s alterity would instead allow us to listen, to learn, to enrich ourselves through our differing experiences. And, quite simply, to live together better.

Conversely, when “identity” refers to what makes us recognizable, it deepens the confusion: what it names is not a constructed uniqueness but a pre-established belonging, often defined in opposition—gender, origin, community. This form of identity doesn't say much about “me.” It designates a role assigned within a system of recognition: classification, labeling, validation, by the administration, society, the state.

Objectifying

The word “belonging” reinforces this form of subjection. We think we hear the warmth of a group, the stability of a home. But “to belong” literally means to be possessed, like an object. It means being confined within an entity, unable to leave it. The serf belonged to his lord. And went to war for him. Today, the citizen belongs to the nation, toward which he has a duty of loyalty. The coat of arms has become a flag: still on the front line.

Destructuring

This logic persists because it is familiar. We cling to it like a structure. Because other countries tell the same story, and protecting ourselves from them becomes, rightly or wrongly, a survival reflex. But what we take for a foundation is a force of fragmentation. It divides, opposes, prevents the experience of the world outside of its boxes. It fuels conflict.

It also endures because it steers us away from vertigo. The taboo is not what we forbid ourselves to touch—the conventional structure—but what we forbid ourselves to see: our shared condition—very real. We all live on this tiny blue point, suspended in the void. A fragile raft where each of us tries to stay upright. And instead of looking around, we close our eyes. We prefer to define ourselves against others rather than admit that we are vulnerable together, and recognize that the ground we share is all we have.

Me and the Void

This system denies two fundamentals.

First, subjectivity: what I am, what I become, what I understand about myself, over time and through encounters. My subjectivity is not someone else’s. That is what defines me, what writes my “identity,” beyond documents and the official History that ignores the anonymous people we are.

Second, the planet: this Earth we share recognizes no border, no birthright, no inherited privilege. Beyond its sphere, the void.

Subjectivity and “Earth-Homeland”1: the unique and the common. Their contours trace the only tangible limits. The rest is abstraction.

To think from these two points of reference is to break away, because it implies that exiting the old order is a necessity. This offers no immediate solution, but it does clear away false signposts. The order is expired. Toxic. We must become aware of it and say so. Open our eyes, or lose our balance.

What do you make of this line of thought?

P.S.: These ideas, among others, guide me when I film strangers I meet in the street: to encounter different perceptions, to cross the boundaries between subjectivities, united by a shared space, a shared vertigo, a shared earthly fate. To be discovered at strangers.now (Substack).

Appartenir ou tenir à part ?

L'ordre du monde est périmé

Dans la fusée de Tintin qui l’emmène avec ses acolytes vers la Lune, les jumeaux Dupondt flottent en apesanteur. Pour éviter d’être projetés lorsque le moteur sera remis en marche, ils devraient s’agripper à la cabine. Mais, ignorant les lois de leur environnement, ils s’accrochent l’un à l’autre. Et au moment de l’accélération, ils sont violemment projetés au sol.

Tellement humain, n’est-ce pas ? Cette scène géniale imaginée par Hergé est une excellente métaphore de l’égocentrisme et de l’anthropocentrisme qui poussent les humains à ne voir qu’eux-mêmes dans un univers qui les dépasse et poursuit sa course. Et encore, les Dupondt sont jumeaux, pas frères ennemis.

Le texte qui suit, plutôt théorique, dont je suis l’auteur, résonne avec les mots de Lijana, bien réelle, dont le film que je lui ai consacré a été publié récemment ici. Elle y affirme qu’une personne a une intériorité qui échappe aux catégorisations, et que c’est en voyant que ce sont nos différences qui forment un tout, comme « la lune et le soleil », qu’elle a pu se reconnaître elle-même.

L'ordre politique et symbolique qui structure le monde depuis des siècles a atteint sa date de péremption : il ne fonctionne plus. Cet ordre repose sur l’assignation : à une nation, une culture, une histoire, une origine. C'est celui qui appelle "identité" ce qui est en réalité une imposition, une forme de capture. Il continue de se déployer comme si de rien n'était, affichant un idéal de liberté qu’il contredit à chaque instant.

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Contradiction

Car là est la contradiction centrale : on vante l’autonomie et la responsabilité de l’individu, tout en le définissant par sa naissance. Le lieu, la langue, la famille, la nationalité : rien de tout cela n'est choisi librement, et pourtant cela contraint, oriente, définit. L'identité devient le masque d’une appartenance précoce, d’une identification imposée. « Identité » vient du latin idem : le même. Historiquement, le terme s'appliquait à ce qui reste constant. Les serfs, sans nom de famille, étaient interchangeables. Leur place était définie par leur fonction : c'était l'ordre qui les identifiait.

Le mot « identité » oscille entre deux sens contradictoires : d'un côté, ce qui demeure le même ; de l'autre, ce qui distingue un individu ou un groupe. Ce glissement fait passer une appartenance pour une singularité choisie. Ce paradoxe devient un levier : il transforme l’assignation en autonomie apparente. Il facilite l’intériorisation d’une place assignée, jusqu'à confondre liberté et conformité.

Confusion

Le premier sens produit déjà un malentendu : en suggérant que chacun est identique ou semblable aux autres membres du groupe, il occulte que, si nos apparences se ressemblent, nos vies intérieures diffèrent, parfois radicalement. L’égalité proclamée par les démocraties se superpose à cette vision et renforce l’illusion de communautés homogènes. Or, la quête du « même » chez l’« autre » est souvent vaine et déceptive. Reconnaître d’emblée l’altérité de chacun permettrait d’écouter, d’apprendre, de nous enrichir de nos expériences différentes. Et, simplement, de mieux vivre ensemble.

Inversement, lorsque l’« identité » désigne ce qui nous distingue, elle prolonge la confusion : ce qu’elle nomme n’est pas une singularité construite, mais une appartenance préétablie, fréquemment définie par opposition — genre, origine, communauté. L’identité ainsi entendue dit peu de « moi ». Elle désigne un rôle attribué dans un système de reconnaissance : classement, étiquetage, validation, par l’administration, la société, l’État.

Objectification

Le mot « appartenance » redouble cette forme d'asservissement. On croit y entendre la chaleur d'un groupe, la stabilité d'un foyer. Mais « appartenir », c'est littéralement être possédé, comme un objet. C'est être contraint dans une entité, sans pouvoir s'en soustraire. Le serf appartenait à son seigneur. Et il allait à la guerre pour lui. Aujourd'hui, le citoyen appartient à la nation envers laquelle il a un devoir de loyauté. Le blason est devenu drapeau : toujours en première ligne.

Déstructurisation

Cette logique persiste parce qu'elle est familière. On s'y accroche comme à une structure. Parce que les autres pays tiennent le même discours, et que s’en protéger devient, à tort ou, de plus en plus, à raison, un impératif de survie. Mais ce qu'on prend pour un socle est une force de déstructuration. Elle morcelle, oppose, empêche l'expérience du monde en dehors des cases. Elle alimente les conflits.

Elle perdure aussi parce qu’elle nous détourne d'un vertige. Le tabou n’est pas ce qu'on s'interdit de toucher — la structure conventionnelle — mais ce qu'on s'interdit de voir : notre condition commune — réelle. Nous vivons tous sur ce point bleu, minuscule, suspendu dans le vide. Un esquif sur lequel chacun tente de tenir debout. Et au lieu de regarder autour, on ferme les yeux. On préfère se définir contre l'autre que de s'avouer vulnérables ensemble, et de reconnaître que le sol partagé est tout ce que nous avons.

Moi et le néant

Ce système nie deux fondamentaux.

D'abord, la subjectivité : ce que je suis, deviens, comprends de moi, dans le temps et par les rencontres. Ma subjectivité n'est pas celle des autres. C'est cela qui me définit, qui écrit mon « identité », au-delà des papiers et de l’Histoire officielle qui ignore les anonymes que nous sommes.

Ensuite, la planète : cette Terre que nous partageons ne reconnaît aucune frontière, aucun privilège de naissance. Au-delà de sa sphère, c'est le néant.

Subjectivité et « Terre-Patrie »2 : l'unique et le commun. Leurs contours tracent les seules limites tangibles. Le reste est abstraction.

Penser à partir de ces deux repères est une rupture, car elle suppose que sortir de l’ordre ancien est une nécessité. Cela ne fournit pas de solution immédiate, mais ôte les faux repères. L'ordre est périmé. Toxique. Il faut en prendre conscience et le dire. Ouvrir les yeux, ou perdre l'équilibre.

Qu’en dites-vous ?

P.S. : Ces idées, parmi d’autres, me guident lorsque je filme des inconnus croisés dans la rue : pour aller à la rencontre de perceptions différentes, franchir les limites entre subjectivités, unies par un même espace, un même vertige, un même destin de terriens. À découvrir sur strangers.now (Substack).

Her confidence in the process was truly touching. She gives us a precious gift by opening up about a personal episode of her story, leading to beautifully put thoughts about our relationships with others.

I couldn’t believe I was capturing this moment. I feel blessed. Thank you, Lijana!

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.
(Independent filmmaking, real-life storytelling, and more).

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention, please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Music by Jérôme Chauvel and Liécio Rodriguez, sourced from Pixabay and used under a royalty-free license.

Share Strangers.Now

Films, Human-Made | Human stories through independent filmmaking | www.ericvan.com

If you haven’t seen it yet on Facebook and LinkedIn, here’s a trailer for the growing short film series I lovingly crafted with my own little hands and a dash of creativity—all ready for you to share and show support.

Life is a wonder people don’t seem to wonder much about. Or do they? Do you? (Let me know!) As for me, I keep asking myself what I’m doing here, in life, or in any given place. I feel like a stranger everywhere. Until one day I grabbed my camera and started asking passersby what their answers were. That’s how Strangers.Now started.

Watch the full 3-min documentary series:
➤ www.strangers.now
➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube: www.strangers.tube—desktop only.

“Everywhere, in the street, on the train, I feel like asking strangers who they are, what they’re doing, what’s on their minds. I’m curious about the lives I come across…”
— Simone Signoret, the renowned French actress, in a TV interview—quoted from memory. (Signoret actually questioned strangers in a department store, filmed in the 1960s for the documentary William Klein aux grands magasins.)

All unique, all strangers

Our identities are shaped by not being identical—just as strangers are. We can tell one another apart thanks to our differences, to our very uniqueness.

Strangers? Now!

Don’t you think it’s intriguing? Don’t you want to ask strangers how different they are? What they’re thinking? What they’re doing there?
Strangers.Now takes to the streets to ask, listen and connect. In real life. With real strangers.

Do you know how good it feels?
That you could do it too?
Speak with strangers. Now.
(Need an icebreaker? Just drop Strangers.Now. Quite fitting, isn’t it?)

Meanwhile, meet on your screen:

• Namratha, who’s always trying to climb a rainbow (English)

• David, who finally found a place he belongs to: the football stadium (Italian)

• Guoda and Karolis, who discuss hangovers and the meaning of life (Lithuanian)

• Rolandas, who feels like a kind hedgehog (Lithuanian)

• Nicolas, who narrates the drama he lived through in Ukraine (in French)

• Kunthea, who can’t find words to share her appalling fate under the Khmer Rouge (French and Khmer)

• And other strangers open to sharing their perspectives with you.

• More to come!

Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.
(Independent filmmaking, real-life storytelling, and more).

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention, please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Music by Jérôme Chauvel and Liécio Rodriguez, sourced from Pixabay and used under a royalty-free license.

Share Strangers.Now

Films, Human-Made | Human stories through independent filmmaking | www.ericvan.com

We filmed this moment in 2012 at the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. I’m sharing it now because April 17, 2025—just a few days from the time of posting—will mark 50 years since the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975. That day changed Kunthea’s life: the regime took her youth, her innocence, and her father, mother, and brothers. She was 8 years old. Like all residents of Phnom Penh, the family had 24 hours to leave the city for four years of forced labour in far-flung fields, until the fall of the regime.

An estimated two million Cambodians—nearly a quarter of the population—were massacred under the Khmer Rouge.

Kunthea’s testimony shows how difficult it can be to convey such a past. But seeing her struggle to speak says more than words could. That’s why testimonies like this matter—especially in a time when the world is growing increasingly radicalized.

Meanwhile, in 1975, I was a teenager in my bedroom discovering Pink Floyd’s newly released "Wish You Were Here"—an ironic title in this context. Kunthea was trapped in a country she had not chosen to be born in. What was she doing there?

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention, please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

In my view, Nicolas’ sincere and striking testimony reveals a deep sense of humanity, and the complexity of our condition, which we must face without turning away.

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel used under royalty-free license.

Share Strangers.Now

The sky over Trakai was grey that day—there wasn’t much chance of seeing a rainbow, except perhaps in Namratha’s sunny presence.

As a proud native of the Indian state of Telangana, Namratha’s tagline is ‘Your Telangana Child!’

Namratha’s Instagram

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

Share

➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

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➤ More auto-translated languages via YouTube—desktop only.

The video is part of the Strangers.Now film series.
Films and texts © Eric Vander Borght – www.ericvan.com – linktr.ee/vanderbo

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch
or comment below

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➤ If you think Strangers.Now is worthy of attention—that’s exactly what it needs—please share, like, and engage widely! These films are unlisted on YouTube; only your sharing, and that of your friends, can bring them to life. They need your creative involvement—preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded.

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place. On YouTube, English subtitles can be activated via the relevant icon, and automatic translation into many languages (desktop only) is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom-right corner of the videos (see below).

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel

Share Strangers.Now

Have you ever wondered why you find yourself in a particular place, among certain people, in front of the mirror in the morning, or simply in life?

You’ve reached the heart of WHAT AM I DOING HERE?, aka STRANGERS.NOW, an ongoing multilingual series of short films featuring people met by chance, complete strangers to me shortly before filming. (More about languages below.)

As I keep wondering What am I doing here? I started asking passersby in Vilnius, Lithuania, right outside my door. The result? I can now make it available to you. Their answers are profound. (Credits and thanks2.)

Watch them here, on Substack, or on YouTube (unlisted).

To stay in the loop about new films, sign up here. It’s totally free:

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And please share! The films are freely available, but because they are unlisted on YouTube, only your active sharing, liking, and engagement, along with that of your friends, can bring them to life3. They need your creative involvement, preferably in person: word of mouth is the best way to support a project that is entirely self-funded. Especially when social media and the web are saturated with attention grabbers.

Getting feedback from you is also crucial4. It will help me reflect on the project’s future and find ways to improve it. Do you see value in it? Would you be willing to recommend it?

Thank you!

Eric Van (shortened from Eric Vander Borght)
Filmmaker and Photographer

I’m available for film and photography projects.

Let’s get in touch

Note: The subjects of the films usually speak their mother tongue or a language they feel comfortable with: we believe that embracing diverse forms of expression makes the world a richer place.
Here, on Substack, Strangers.Now videos display English subtitles by default. On YouTube, automatic translation into many languages is accessible through the gear icon in the bottom right-hand corner of videos (see below). This only works on the web, via computer. Why YT doesn't offer this feature on smartphones remains a mystery to me. Would you happen to know?

The YouTube playlist: www.strangers.tube

Share Strangers.Now

Films, Human-Made | Human stories through independent filmmaking | www.ericvan.com