Home of the Perpetually Lost
By Vedad Divović
Video by Nafise Motlaq
Presented as the first project in the WARM in Focus series
Home of the Perpetually Lost is a photographic meditation on the fragile, layered concept of “home”, a place of both physical presence and emotional meaning. It asks: what becomes of this space when it is fractured? What remains when home is left behind, perhaps forever, and the hope of return begins to fade?
Set against the backdrop of Lebanon, a country that holds within it both those seeking refuge and those compelled to flee, the work reflects the shifting, often painful tension between arrival and departure, belonging and displacement. Lebanon’s complex history of migration, layered with economic and political crisis, becomes the quiet stage for these universal questions. The people portrayed in the images are caught in a search: some reaching for a sense of home, some having lost it, others unsure whether they ever had it at all.
For the WARM Festival, Vedad’s work has been transformed for the big screen by Iranian filmmaker Nafise Motlaq, creating a moving visual narrative that deepens the emotional resonance of the original photography. Whether presented as a digital slideshow, printed installation, or as a quiet projection in a public space, Home of the Perpetually Lost invites viewers to pause and witness, if only for a moment, the shared memory of those perpetually in search.
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About WARM In Focus
WARM In Focus is a new series launched at WARM Festival 2025, dedicated to spotlighting short, powerful documentary and visual journalism works that illuminate urgent issues from conflict zones around the world. Inspired by the tradition of cinematic newsreels, these concise pieces sit at the intersection of reporting and art – designed to be screened before feature films, at exhibitions, and in festival venues. Curated by Sofi Langis, WARM in Focus brings attention to stories that might otherwise be overlooked, offering a sharp, intimate lens on displacement, survival, resistance, and memory.
