Where I Am Now

F. has been living in Bucharest for four years since fleeing Afghanistan with her family. The thoughtful 18-year-old films her life in the Romanian capital: her trips to the park, life at home with her brothers and sisters, and the conversations she has with her Romanian friends. When the Covid-19 pandemic approaches, bringing a lockdown, she has to spend a month indoors. She kills time with funny observations of life outdoors, filmed through the window.

F. addresses the camera with increasing frankness. Her video diary’s messy, spontaneous style is disarming. The result is a candid and warm account of a young woman trying to navigate between what she herself wants and what her family expects of her—between her status as a refugee and the desire to live like an ordinary teenager, who in the meantime is deeply saddened by the developments in her homeland.