Bayram shed light on the unofficial networks of documenting and archiving the socially marginalized experiences of the 1990s, focusing on video tapes from 1993-2006 that were discovered via composer and human rights defender, Şanar Yurdatapan. Through his media archaeological examination of the situated technologies of the '90s, Bayram emphasized the forensic, evidentiary, and juridical functions of these tapes in potentially rectifying these violently suppressed histories.

The discussion took us beyond just decolonising the logic of appraisal within colonial archives. It emphasised the need to decolonise the very epistemologies that govern these archives, urging us to rethink how we understand audiovisual cultures transnationally across interconnected struggles. 

This session will be followed by a new session on 11 November 2024 with filmmaker and researcher Mohanad Yaqubi. We’ll explore films from the Palestinian Film Institute (1967–1984) that use different grammars of resistance, creating resonant narratives around Palestine’s colonial history that remain relevant today. Don’t miss it!