Digital Storytelling is at the peak of transforming the unknown new beginnings for our future generations. Telling stories on visual platforms via digital mediums is the most recently developed method of communication and storytelling experience, and is so important today in the digital age. There are a plethora of mediums that are affiliated with the digital storytelling experience. This ranges from social media platforms to video games to mobile phone applications, the list goes on.
Founded and created on December 13, 2017, Ifeatu Nnaobi assembled this enlightening digital narrative through an Instagram account called @whereis_home. Formatted by 249 grids of images that assemble together to form a larger composition as you gradually scroll down the feed. She created an enriched, heartfelt montage of photos, videos, text-message screenshots, quotes and illustrations that all collaborate into a fascinating story which presents an eye opening experience on the platform of Instagram.
Instagram itself has been around for almost a decade now. Developed by Facebook in October of 2010, Instagram was created as a visual tool to post individual photos in an assembly of 3x3 grids with captions and hashtags as a way of social media and communication. But, Instagram not only is just a social networking service, it is also is a way to creatively build one’s own digital narrative.
And Ifeatu Nnaobi did just that. She unfolds her personal story of what she considers her “home”, and the story of how she got to where she is today. As you scroll through the instagram feed without individually selecting the actual thumbnail grids, you will follow photographs, illustrations, and real photos and videos of Ifeatu, her journey, and others along the way. Ifeatu also illustrates and narrates her time she spends reflecting on “home” and her Nigerian roots.
She provided an opportunity for physical interaction of the audience to either scroll down her feed via mousepad on a computer or laptop, or physically by-hand on a smartphone or tablet (best if used on mobile). This physical interaction allows the reader to become one with the heartwarming story and deeply reflect in one’s own personal way; this also allows the reader to relate to their own individual experience and realization of “home”.
With soft, faded colors of yellow, red, and blue, the assembling of Infeatu’s story was formatted chronologically backwards. The reason for this was so that when you start from the first box reading left to right, it makes the read appear to be the beginning of the story. The title of the narrative “Where is Home?” begins in the first box and is spread across the first two rows and columns on the feed (as shown below).
It is told all the way until the end, which actually was the initial first post. If one were to scroll from the bottom of the feed to the top, the story would not be the same story, in fact it would not be a story at all, but rather primarily confusion. Reading from the bottom to the top of the feed would just merely have disassembled loads of information and unorganized groupings of photo and video footage, and the story would not be the same. The way that Infeatu organized her story was intentionally purposeful for viewers to scroll and interact along with the Instagram feed from the very top of the feed to the bottom, creating a beginning to end digital narrative.
Some of the critical essays we’ve discussed in class including historical, critical, theoretical, and practical concerns apply to this piece of storytelling. One of the most relatable essays of the ones in class we have discussed was the Twitter example of Teju Cole’s “A Piece of the Wall”. This essay also was assembled chronologically backwards in the same sense as Infeatu’s project.
While the popularity of viewers isn’t astronomical, 231 followers is far greater than none. However, the story is not even a year old yet, so there still is time for the followers and viewers to grow. The amount of viewers does not restrict this project from its impeccable accomplishments. Infeatu Nnaobi’s digital narrative project “Where is Home?” was commenced at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) DocLab segment in collaboration with ARTE France, IDFA, and National Film Board Canada, in November 2017. The project was also shown at the Cleveland International Film Festival in April 2018 and made its UK premiere at Sheffield Doc Fest in June 2018. Other festival screenings include Loviisa Arts Festival Finland, 2018 and Brighton Digital Festival, 2018.
The story is essentially directed towards anyone, anywhere. Whoever wants to can be reading, viewing, or interacting with this digital narrative on Instagram. Young, old, any gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. It is completely open to the public to view and experience the journey of diving deeper into understanding the inevitable question “Where is home?”. An NFB and ARTE production “Where is Home?” still exists today on Instagram, and is a public Instagram account for anyone to be able to experience the story.
About a third of the way down the instagram feed, there is an illustration that reads “How does our idea of home change as life evolves?”
Selflessly, Infeatu strives to achieve reaching out to the public to unfold others’ comprehension of their own “home”. Towards the end of the feed, Ifeatu interrogates individuals experiences and personal understandings of “home”. Where is home? Does home have to be a specific place? Or can home be intangible?
This Instagram project created by Infeatu merely insinuates to the audience the ideas we may not necessarily even hesitate to think about, but need to reflect upon. These ideas of self-reflection and realization are so crucially important regarding the overall fundamental concept that is so often taken for granted. While we may not even recognize the things, people and presences in our lives today, this digital narrative presents an eye-opening experience that is intended to be a significant wakeup call to many as it reiterates the prominent significance to always count your blessings.
Sometimes the intangibles in life far outweigh the tangibles- relationships, emotions, feelings, etc. And this is what interested me the most about Infeatu’s digital narrative. She broadened the realities of perspective, interpretation, and realization. There were several quotes from interviewees answering what home is to them. Some of these answers included “Home is a shoulder to cry on.” “Home is freedom and equality.” “Home is comfort.” “Home is a judgement-free place.”
The list goes on. All of these responses truly engulf the central idea that we, human beings, can all be each other’s home. To me, my home is my family and my best friends. And all of these people in my life exhibit these exemplified quotes- They all represent “freedom and equality.” They are all my “comfort” zone. They are all my “judgement free place.” And they are all “a shoulder to cry on.” Infeatu depicted an eye opening experience for me and I encourage everyone else to experience this and hopefully feel the same. So, where is your home? Find your home and experience the enlightening digital journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/whereis_home/.
