Zineb

Sedira—

Ravishing

Recreations

of

Film

Sets

Charm

and

Provolve

Zineb Sedira’s ‘Dreams Have No Titles’ at Whitechapel Gallery immerses visitors in a world that blurs reality, memory, and cinema. The exhibition opens with a detailed re-enactment of a scene from Ettore Scola’s Le Bal (1983), where a glamorous ballroom transports visitors back in time, setting the stage for exploration of personal and political histories. As you move through the installation, Sedira’s reconstructions of iconic film sets—such as those from The Battle of Algiers (1966) — evoke both nostalgia and political struggle, blending memories of Algeria’s war of independence, Brixton riots, jazz and blues.

The exhibition culminates in a film, where Sedira reflects on her journey from Algeria to France and later England, confronting her multifaceted identity as an Algerian-French woman. Using archival footage and scenes from films like The Battle of Algiers and F for Fake (1973), she explores themes of artifice, truth, and personal trauma, including the loss of her sister. Through these narratives, Sedira presents a rich, layered tapestry of cultural celebration and resistance, intertwining the politics of race, colonialism, and the immigrant experience.

With its interplay of illusion and reality, ‘Dreams Have No Titles’ not only delves into Sedira’s personal history but also engages broader postcolonial narratives of cultural solidarity and resistance.