Be Water, Be Light

Be Water, Be Light is an audiovisual poem which touches on recent civil disobedience movements that have employed tactics and gestures inspired by water and light. These movements have been subject to unrelenting suppression, leaving us with the question: who will still have the courage to be water and light?

“Be water” was a tactic adopted by protesters in the social movements in Hong Kong in 2019. It has been followed since then by protesters in several other parts of the world.

The shared creative process for Be Water, Be Light was back-and-forth. While the starting point was a narrative through the roughly edited footage, this was gradually nuanced by the pacing of the sound composition.

Filming and editing by Lin Li

Music composed by Rachel Beckles Willson

Audio production and mastering by Federico Milanesi

Piano, oud and singing bowl - Rachel Beckles Willson

Soprano saxophone - Sophie Creaner