THE AIR THAT I BREATHE (2021)

Ella Kissi Debrah was 7 years old when she died in 2013. This year, a landmark judgement stated air pollution was the primary cause of her death - the first ever ruling of this kind in the UK. 'The Air That I Breathe' is about the illegal air pollution levels in Lewisham - where Kissi-Debrah lived - and other racially diverse boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Southwark where residents twice as likely to die from lung diseases than those in richer areas like Kensington and Westminster. Combining a poem by Nina Mdwaba, a black spoken word artist based in London, with layered visuals that connect body and social politics - 'The Air That I Breathe' attempts to find a filmic language to represent the imperceptible politics of our air.

Made as part of Goldsmiths MA in Film.