Pitch

Leaving JHQ Rheindahlen Behind will document the conditions of the now abandoned former military base, JHQ: while also exploring how this abandonment has impacted me, a former resident of the camp. It will centre around what is left behind in places without people, and how nature has taken a hold of the once bustling community.

I feel that Leaving JHQ Rheindahlen Behind is a worthwhile project as it will shed a light onto something that is both largely unknown and undocumented – the experience of growing up on an international military base is not something that has been extensively explored, and the subsequent abandonment of a childhood home is somewhat unique to this experience – while also being, hopefully, relatable to most people – everyone has had some experience of leaving a place behind and can understand the effect this process has on an individual. I intend to make the project from a mixture of my own families home-recordings from our time in JHQ, footage captured from the now abandoned camp, and interviews with my family about their memories of our time at JHQ and thoughts about it’s current condition.