'What does HOME mean to you', episode I.

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No particular reason was there to start this project in Leeds, it was very simple. 

"AS I AM HERE NOW."

Leeds was spectacularly wonderful city for me, however, frankly it might not be for everyone, especially for tourists. Most of days in Leeds, I could feel the serenity. Because over 2 years it wasn’t generally necessary to go to a city centre, but even the centre also had the calm mood. I especially loved that mood as sometimes it’s like the clock doesn’t move when I was there.

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However, contrast to the serenity, the city was a full of passion to guard and to evolve ‘ART’. The first scene in this video is describing an extraordinary normal scenery of a town people can meet anywhere in England. But the road is actually way to ‘Hyde Park Picture House’ which is one of great and old cinemas for independent film. My professor brought all students here before the first semester was starting. I still remember the film, ‘Man on wire’ I watched with my university classmates in the gorgeous cinema.

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All of us, who are enthusiastic about film and photography, walked on the way to the cinema together. Since that moment, the road, the town and the city became significant parts of me as all particles of places remind me the people who were walking with me, the excited feeling on orientation day and the stories I talked with my classmates.

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Such incredible moments kept lasting in Leeds as Hyde Park Picture House, which is the only remaining gaslit cinema in the United Kingdom, was near my flat so I could access to the cinema so easily. Cottage Road Cinema which is the oldest cinema in Leeds was also very closed, I used to go there by walk from my flat.

It was truly personal experience, Leeds was Home to me because I could feel strong sympathies from the cinemas, the university, the classmates, and even strangers who met in many different places, well, especially at cinemas.

WHAT DOES 'HOME' MEAN TO US?

Some people might have a similar experience just like me. Or probably most of people have their own specific place which make them feel at home even though they were not born in, were not raised in either.

Through this project, I desired to figure out how cities could be reshaped as HOME to people, and what kind of features are behind it.
 

STRANGERS, ARE YOU READY TO FIND YOUR HOME?