Open Country by Amaal Said: Film Launch

When: Thursday, 2 October 2025, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Where: Red House, Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, London, DA6 8JF

Who: This is a free event, and everyone is welcome. Places are limited, please book your space.

The evening will begin with an introduction to Open Country by the artist, who will share the stories and processes that informed the creation of the work. 

Open Country by Amaal Said will screen on rotation throughout the evening in a 25-seat screening room.

Beyond the screen, the gathering will continue with traditional Somali food and drinks prepared by Roon’s Catering, offering a moment of collective reflection and conviviality.

Open Country follows a Somali mother and daughter who walk from their London home along the Old Kent Road, tracing the Pilgrims' Way into Bexley, North Kent and beyond. The daughter plans to record an audio cassette diary for her grandmother, who is back home in Somalia and in ill health. Hoping to ease her mother’s worries and lift her spirits, she uses the journey as a way to bring joy and to help her focus on the road ahead in the country they call home. 

Shot at the Red House, a National Trust property and the former home of William Morris in Bexley, as well as locations in Canterbury and the Kent coast, the film is loosely inspired by The Canterbury Tales, and explores the tension between being present in the here and now and yearning for another place.

Open Country was co-commissioned by Three Rivers, Film and Video Umbrella and Forma as part of The Open Road programme. 

Important Information:

• This event is FREE and open to all. However, participants under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
• Limited spaces available. Booking via Eventbrite is essential. 

Nearest Transport Links:

• Car: M25 junction 2 to A2 for Bexleyheath. Exit Danson interchange and follow A221 Bexleyheath. Please note, there is no parking on site. The nearest parking is at Danson Park, 1 mile (DA6 8HL). Charges apply at weekends and Bank Holidays
• Train: Bexleyheath. Trains run directly from London Victoria, London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street.
• Bus: 89, 422, 486, B11 and B16 London Central; B12 and B15 Arriva Kent Thameside; B14 Metrobus; 96 Selkent. All stop at Upton Road.

Accessibility Notice:

• Gravel driveway, grass lawns and uneven brick paths. Ramp access available to the ground floor of the house, no step-free access to the first floor.
• For detailed accessibility information and the Red House access statement, please visit the Red House website.

About

Amaal Said is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose work encompasses visual storytelling and community engagement. Born in Denmark to Somali parents, her photography has been featured in Vogue, The Guardian, and The New Yorker. She has exhibited internationally and received the Southwark Council’s I Create grant for her film Notes on Getting Home in 2022. As a Picture Researcher at Hyphen, she curates visuals to amplify Muslim narratives. Amaal holds an MA in Art & Politics from Goldsmiths and a BA in Politics from SOAS.

Red House is a building of extraordinary architectural and social significance, the only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement. Designed by Philip Webb and completed in 1860, it was described by Edward Burne-Jones as 'the beautifullest place on earth'. The rooms at Red House give a unique view of William and Janey's life and the establishment of what later became Morris & Co. Red House boasts original features and furniture by Morris and Philip Webb, stained glass and paintings by Burne-Jones and embroidery by Jane and Elizabeth Burden. Coupled with bold architecture and a garden designed to 'clothe the house', they add up to a fascinating and rewarding place to visit.

The Open Road is a series of artists' moving image works, co-commissioned by a partnership of visual arts organisations: Film and Video Umbrella, The Amelia Scott, Cement Fields, FLAMIN, Forma, and Three Rivers. 

The Open Road reimagines the age-old tale of a journey taken, weaving together new stories by three contemporary artists. The works are loosely inspired by The Canterbury Tales, drawing from a disparate cast of characters to recount competing stories in a patchwork of styles. David Blandy, Amaal Said and Sam Williams each draw on storytelling traditions to give fresh perspectives on their journeys, on foot, by sea and through time. The newly commissioned works meander through reflections on migration and belonging, untold histories and non-human connections. A smashed mobile phone decries its extraction, removed, returned and dug out from the earth. A daughter recounts a meandering walk with her mother, connecting with the earth underfoot and a land far away. A manifestation of an eel acts as a vessel for both human and non-human experiences in the Kent wetlands.

Photo: Amaal Said, Open Country, 2025. Film still. Courtesy of the artist.