WoodlandStudio Films
UK, 2025
50 min.
A meditative retrospective into Kerma, uncompromising in her pursuit of artistic expression and discoveries of form, emptiness, reality, and attachment.
Artist, Ingrid Kerma, shares the roots of her unfettered creative processes, philosophical influences, and experimentation that intrinsically shape her identity as an artist, mother, daughter and partner. Kerma challenges the antithetical commodification and commercialisation of her work which seeks not to conform but instead connect to profound phenomenological and existential self-discovery. If the intention is not to make art, does art’s most authentic expression then become a paradox? This portrait of Kerma is a retrospective that traces queer love, fragmented motherhood, volatility, faith, and determination.
Kerma - 2025 Documentary Trailer
https://vimeo.com/1055286581?share=copy#t=0
Ingrid Kerma is a multidisciplinary artist, working with large-scale paintings, installations, film, photography and performance. She is a member of Berlin collective Endmoräne, and a founding member of Chisenhale Art Place (founded in the 1980s). Years of dedication in securing, renovating, and inaugurating Chisenhale led to its ‘award winning, 39-year history as one of London’s most innovative forums for art’. [source] This proud establishment plays an integral part in many of its residents' careers and successes, as well as being an invaluable source of culture and innovation in the local area.
I met Ingrid in 2019 when I became her neighbour in East London. Over time I learnt about her life, career and relationships. I quickly grew fond of Ingrid and her idiosyncrasies. I chose to direct this film because this would be the first feature to be made on Ingrid, and I felt it necessary that her story was told.
The crew worked to a highly professional standard and kept the atmosphere on set light and non-intrusive. Throughout filming, Ingrid was always open, trusting, and curious. Thanks to Simona, Connor and Stefania for supplying their own kit, the film could be made on a budget of less than £500.
While watching this film, I wanted the viewer to experience an emotional connection to Ingrid and an immersion into her world. To identify with some of the hardships of being a parent, child, partner and artist. To go with Ingrid into the painting as a form of meditation which speaks of what it is to be alive and how art often offers the rawest expression of that questioning.
To devise the film’s overarching narrative when all was yet to be revealed was a tricky process during pre-production. But there were parallels in a more organic development of the story and Ingrid’s philosophies as an artist and a person that guided the film’s materialisation.
We are proud to arrive at the film’s completion and honoured to gift this to Ingrid. Between this self-funded project and other commitments, we built a beautiful foundation as a team, realised and expanded our capacities to accomplish what was a delicate process that required trust and patience. This project continues to offer me huge learning curves and humble me as a filmmaker and artist. My hope is that we can continue working together as a team on future paid projects and to empower our subjects whose wisdom and personal philosophies are a privilege and inspiration to document and share.