‘GREECE, your light caught us by your E and burned us all the way to your G.’: Based on the self-titled poem by Jazra Khaleed, THE LIGHT THAT BURNS US is a poetry film directed by Jazra Khaleed and Silvia Tsompanaki, responding to the ongoing state of emergency in contemporary Greece. Through haunting imagery and a layered soundscape, the film confronts militarism, nationalism, and the violence inflicted upon immigrants. It seeks to give form to collective pain while resisting spectacle, offering instead a quiet yet urgent plea for equity, justice, and the abolition of borders.
The project is part of the subthemes Disrupted Realities – Poetry and the Politics of Truth, Unruly Forms – Experiments in the Poetic Wild.
Author
Jazra Khaleed
Jazra Khaleed is an Athens-based poet, filmmaker, performer and translator. His work addresses issues around immigration, war, racism, social injustice, class struggle and poverty.
Author
Silvia Tsompanaki
Silvia Tsompanaki is an Athens-based photographer and filmmaker. Her work addresses issues around working class cultures, hip hop and immigration. Her most recent exhibition titled Rap Divas received wide media attention and coverage from the Greek media.
