A victory at the U-Art Festival 2025!

An artwork that challenges the way we see others

At the end of this year's competition, two artists were honoured, including Fatemeh Hassandoustarbokelayeh, an ILCF student. Thanks to her short film Tu vois tout sauf moi (You See Everything Except Me), Fatemeh won first prize in the Hybrid Artwork category.

An Iranian student who arrived in France eight months ago to study at ILCF, Fatemeh demonstrates that art can transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries and resonate with everyone. Read her interview below and discover the unique artistic vision behind her award-winning work.

Can you tell us about the project you presented at the U-Art Festival? What is it about?

My project was originally a 30-minute video that I had already presented in Iran. For the U-Art Festival, I adapted it into a five-minute version.

The film was entirely shot by me during a painting class in which I was posing as the model. From the very first second until the second minute, a new pixel of my body appears every second, symbolising the subtle changes in our personality that often go unnoticed by others.

From the second minute onwards, the number of pixels gradually increases. This reflects the way personal transformation usually begins: slowly and hesitantly, before becoming more visible and more fully expressed. To an outside observer, these sudden changes may seem like a deterioration because they challenge the image they had of us. Yet the final image is much closer to my true self.

What inspired this project?

The project grew out of my own personal experience.

Change is essential if we want to grow, but it can also distance us from people who remain attached to the image they once had of us. In Being and Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre explores the idea of the gaze of the Other as something that limits human freedom. As soon as we are looked at, we cease to exist as free subjects and become objects shaped by someone else's perception. This creates a form of alienation, freezing our identity within a fixed image.

Tu vois tout sauf moi explores this tension. The individual changes from within, while others continue to see an outdated version of who they are.

In this context, the gaze of others becomes an invisible prison that prevents the recognition of the true self. This gap between the "lived self" and the "perceived self" echoes one of Sartre's fundamental questions: are we defined by who we become from within, or by who others expect us to remain?

How long did it take you to film and edit the project?

As I mentioned, the footage was filmed during a painting class in which I was posing as the model. The filming itself took around two hours.

The editing process, however, was extremely complex. I worked with several editors, and the final film contains 729 layers created using Adobe After Effects.

You won first prize at the U-Art Festival. How did you feel when you heard the news?

I was genuinely surprised. Receiving this award was a real honour.

I would like to thank everyone who supported this project. It is incredibly encouraging to see your work recognised. I would also like to thank UCLy and ILCF for their warm welcome and continued support since my arrival in France. Their encouragement has allowed me to continue developing my artistic work while learning French and discovering a new culture.