Branden (Scorched) is a collective poem about the burning of home countries, about the fire and the smoke of armed conflict; which transforms humans into ‘refugees’. A poetic conversation with five women from different diasporas: about leaving… and (never) arriving. An ode to the displaced woman. Lisette Ma Neza is a poet with a camera. Her artistic practice is a constant attempt to translate herself and others. She transmutes the lives and feelings of the displaced, survivors of “great” violence, of Africans in Europe, of diasporas… of women. This research turns into poetic essays, spoken word, film and theatre. On March 21, 2024, she will start as the first ‘Public poet Brussels — Brussels stadsdichter — Poètesse de Bruxelles’.

“With Branden, I developed a new method; to interview people with stories that can be too difficult to tell. The poetic method of holding dialogues would allow us to address these experiences nonetheless. I formulated my questions during the interviews so that there would be a rhythm, and so that metaphors would emerge in the interviewees’ sentences. That’s how this poem came about.”

The road, the house, the key, the animals, Bamssi. Images with the urgency of an Instagram story create a dialogue within the family across the sea: Mourad and Fairuz, Tunisia and abroad. You have to go to the roof to see something of the surroundings: the railway behind the house. Away from the house, away from home. Street dogs and cats in front of the house. Without a house, without a home. The sound of the train carries a disturbing longing. The image of the sea opens up a dangerous desire. To stay. To dream. Time passes both slowly and quickly when the possibility of new life disrupts the routine.

Mourad Ben Amor lives in Mahdia, Tunisia. When he was 16, he wrote a letter to his cousin in Belgium to say that he would like to make films as she does. Bamssi is his debut film, made in a dialogue with her. By showing his world, he hopes to see the world. Fairuz Ghammam lives in Vilvoorde, Belgium. In her practice, she mainly explores (auto)biography and collaborative practices.