Correspondence

/ˌkôrəˈspänd(ə)ns/

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The Correspondence Project was a yearlong project inspired by Akwi's interest in the power of written and spoken words and associated mythologies anchored in ancient Egyptian culture. The project culminated in a short film titled cor·re·spond·ence which was screened as part of the FilmScene's Iowa Filmmakers Spotlight series in June 2023.

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cor·re·spond·ence is a film by Akwi Nji in collaboration with Lovar Davis Kidd and Lyrikal TMG which, through an electronic soundscape and choreopoetry, explores how various forms of written communications serve as tools that connect, manipulate, or unravel relationships. The film is the capstone project to an interdisciplinary experience integrating visual art and is inspired by transatlantic letters written from the late 1970s to early 2020s between Nji's Cameroon-based father and his children and wife. Each literary chapter in the film is an adaptation of written or typed correspondences and messages between loved ones. Although inspired by the writings between members of one family, the film explores the role of written correspondences -- including ancient inscriptions as well as present-day social media messages -- in our human pursuit of and longing for connection, intimacy, and spiritual and geographic home. The project is funded with support from the Iowa Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Read press about The Correspondence Project here.