And you, what are you doing here?
Welcome, stranger... to the ’Strangers.Now’ films! Find out more...
(Patikrinkite lietuvišką išnašą1.)
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).
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.
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
Lietuvių kalbos vartotojams: tai daugiakalbis projektas. Filmų subjektai dažniausiai kalba savo gimtąja kalba arba ta, kuri jiems patogiausia.
Automatinis subtitrų vertimas į lietuvių ir kitas kalbas pasiekiamas spustelėjus krumpliaračio piktogramą apatiniame dešiniajame vaizdo įrašų kampe (žr. „YouTube“ grojaraštį). Žr. pirmiau pateiktą ekrano nuotrauką.
Dėkojame už jūsų supratingumą.
The project is designed, and the films directed, shot and edited by Eric Vander Borght (i.e., me).
Special thanks to Vėtrė Aleksandravičiūtė for her help, for taking part in the first filming, and for possibly adding a photographic dimension. Her spark made this series possible, as she led me to believe it was. A film about her is coming. She’s a multi-talented artist—check out her work and Instagram.
With gratitude to Aleksandra Jacovskitė, whose mentorship is always a source of encouragement.
Opening music by Jérôme Chauvel.
Share using the current URL:
www.strangers.now
or the YouTube playlist:
www.strangers.tube