Hearsay at Point Zero

Hearsay at Point Zero

Date: 18/07/2025 11:00

Exhibition

Sunken Gallery, Ground Floor of the MAC, Belfast

18th July - 21st September 

Open Tuesday - Sunday 11am-5pm

Free entry

Hearsay at Point Zero is a meditative documentary by Marta Dyczkowska that explores life at the heart of Belfast City Centre amid the relentless tides of redevelopment and neoliberal transformation. Framed through the artist’s own journey across the city's Cathedral Quarter, where her studio and everyday life are rooted, the film captures the pulse of Belfast over several months—unfolding a 24-hour cycle that reveals the stark realities often obscured by glossy regeneration campaigns.

At its core, Hearsay at Point Zero centres on the people who inhabit this contested urban space—those living on the margins, small business owners under threat, and communities displaced or disregarded in the face of profit-driven development. Drawing from second-hand accounts and lived experiences collected during filming, including the haunting reflections of a Polish homeless man, Dyczkowska pieces together a collective narrative of resistance, loss, and resilience.

Programmed as part of The State of Belfast exhibition. The State of Belfast uses Grenfell by Steve McQueen as a stepping off point to address the inherent injustices and inequality as well as issues of race and poverty which are inextricably linked to the Grenfell tragedy. The State of Belfast explores how these same conditions exist in Belfast and how we might collectively address them. This national tour of Grenfell is being coordinated by Tate in collaboration with the partner venues and is made possible thanks to support using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from Art Fund. Each presentation will be free to visit and will be accompanied by a public engagement programme of talks, workshops and community events supported by the Grenfell Foundation.

There is a walking tour on August 30th visit the MAC website to find out more https://themaclive.com/event/hearsay-at-point-zero-screening-and-walk-with-artist-marta-dyczkowska

Marta Dyczkowska is a filmmaker and photographer who works across media including printing and performance to investigate loss, grief, friendship and personal and collective stories within their urban context.

For accessibility information on the venue visit the MAC's website: https://themaclive.com/accessibility

Descriptive subtitles provided by Matchbox Cinesub. 

Duration approx 21 minutes.