HomeFrames
lieve willekens
University of Antwerp & VUB
maryam kamal hedayat
Lieve Willekens is PhD researcher at the University of Antwerp and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in the project HomeFrames, focusing on how migrant pioneers used amateur film to reflect, construct and make sense of their identities in Belgium. She studied Cultural and Visual Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, European Comparative Studies at the University of London, and Social and Cultural Work in Antwerp. As a visual anthropologist she has expertise in the fields of film, family photography, cultural heritage, memory, and migration.
VUB
VUB
Maryam K. Hedayat is a filmmaker, writer and researcher for the HomeFrames project. She has studied Literature at the University of Antwerp, film directing at LUCA School of Arts and worked on short films, documentaries, and video installations. Her work explores migration, ecofeminism, and the fragility of memory. She is the founder of Studio Sarab, a multidisciplinary production and distribution platform that fosters reflection, artistic exchange, and amplifies diasporic and ecofeminist voices.
Kevin Smets is associate professor at the Department of Communication Studies at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and co-director of ECHO (Research group on Media, Culture & Politics). Trained in cultural history, he obtained a PhD in Film Studies and Visual Culture (University of Antwerp). His work mainly focuses on the intersections of media, migration and conflict. He has also been a visiting scholar at Bilgi University Istanbul, Freie Universität Berlin, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) London, University of Oxford, the Londdon School of Economics & Political Science and City University New York.
University of Antwerp
Gertjan Willems is associate professor of Film Studies at the University of Antwerp. He is also a guest professor at Ghent University. His research expertise includes Belgian film history, media and cultural identity and diversity, film policy, and adaptation studies. Within these areas, he has published three books and more than fifty peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. In addition, he has curated film programmes and retrospectives for various film festivals and cultural institutions.