Filmmaker: Hilary Campbell
Year of Completion: 2012
TRT: 8 mins
Country of Origin: U.S.

The more signs we see, the more secrets are revealed.

Knowing our histories – who and where we come from – can be a critical part of self-exploration. It can help us better understand where we fit in the complicated mix of our families. But until someone decides to share the intricacies of their own family dynamics with us, there’s really no way of knowing what goes on under the surface.

In this beautifully-rendered, poignant film, a young woman documents the recent history of her parents and siblings through handmade signs and candid, home video-style footage. The more signs we read, the more secrets are revealed. This is a wholly original and deeply use of self-reflexive documentary form.

Hilary Campbell is a filmmaker, set designer and renowned cartoonist, whose work is regularly published in The New Yorker, who originally hailed from Sonoma County. You can find her work at cartoonsbyhilary.com.