Kali is a short film inspired by Nina Simone’s rendition of Pirate Jenny, the song from the Brecht/Weill „Three Penny Opera“.
The lyrics of the song have been rewritten to become a monologue, performed by actress Hiam Abbass in Arabic. (English subtitles). The film has been shot with two cameras, a main one and a surveillance camera placed further away from the actress. It is conceived as a two channel installation, with the footage from the main camera as a large projection and the surveillance camera film presented on a monitor within the same venue, and synchronized with the large projection.
The film tackles issues of oppression, exploitation and injustice.The title refers to the Hindu goddess associated with Empowerment, Time and Change. Although presented as dark and violent, Kali is also a figure of annihilation of evil forces. It perfectly reflects the spirit of the text, an angry plea to vengeance over injustice and oppression.