I myself ‘am the sun by Lilah Bennetti

I myself ‘am the sun is a short film portrayal of an embodied act of self-assertion as a Black Queer person. It delves into the profound correlation between the physical and metaphysical realms, emphasising the importance of individual body autonomy, encouraging a deeper understanding of our bodies and their connection to acts of self-determination and healing.

Inspired by the powerful words of renowned Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene, the title itself serves as a catalyst for introspection, an invitation on a journey of affirming brilliance and illuminating the inseparable intertwining of Blackness and Queerness.

Challenging the notion that only grand, visible moments are worthy of celebration, the film invites us to treasure the seemingly small and ordinary moments as monuments of personal significance.

Through its narrative, I myself ‘am the sun prompts us to ponder the intricate balance between being seen and acknowledged by others and what it means to acknowledge ourselves through humble acts of kindness.

About the artist

Born in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia), Lilah Benetti is an international award-winning and critically acclaimed artist and filmmaker. Lilah considers their work to be auto-ethnographic; an amalgamation of their personal experiences interwoven within broader social and cultural histories, foregrounding Black Queer identities.

Through film they also delve into the world of fiction to illuminate lost and obscured narratives, exploring contemporary forms of resistance in the pursuit of self-determination. The basis of Lilah’s work is rooted in visual imaging, considering the boundaries of both the still and moving image as fluid and porous in order to push the medium’s possibilities through scale, method and presentation.

With observations from our pre-colonial past, Lilah’s work is speculative, imaginative and attentive to our immediate futures, recognising that Black Futurism and Queer Futurity are both near and tangible, and require collective agency to build our utopia’s.

Fed Square is co-presenting I myself ‘am the sun with the Centre for Projection Art.

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Image credit: Still from I myself ‘am the sun by Lilah Bennetti