Poems
Safaa (Argyros) Fathy
Translated from French Patrick Love & Safaa Fathy
/////// 152 Pages
15.6 x 23.4 CM
Al Haschische is a vivid and beguiling work by Safaa Fathy, a multi-talented artist who seamlessly delves into personal, humanitarian, and metaphysical matters through trance-inducing lyricism. Reminiscent of Benjamin's Über Haschisch, the book employs Hashish as a catalyst for interpretation, taking us on a journey into the depths of places, plants, and people within the realm of Language. Drawing inspiration from her experimental film, Hidden Valley, Fathy skilfully integrates stills that offer a visual, verbal, and textual glimpse into her quest. Al Haschische serves as an exploration of dreams, madness, and the intricate musings of the mind through an investigative and psychic travel. Its pages invite us to encounter elemental forces, ranging from the enigmatic Canticle Prophet to the interplay of shadows and remedies, employing hypnosis against a backdrop of a mesmerizing blue curtain. Fathy's poetic work beautifully underscores the notion that the body is the primordial abode of words, while the term "haschiche" resonates with profound significance throughout.
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Safaa Fathy is an Egyptian/French poet, documentary filmmaker, playwright, and essayist. Born in Egypt, she moved to France in 1981 and obtained her PhD from the Sorbonne in Paris in 1993. She was Program Director at the International College of Philosophy from 2010-2016.
Fathy is the author of the plays Aquarius, in Sillas en la frontera, and Ordalie/Terreur (with an introduction by Jacques Derrida), and co-author with Jacques Derrida of Tourner les mots: au bord d’un film. Her books of poetry include Revolution Goes Through Walls (SplitLevel) and A Name to the Sea (Dar Al Nahda).
Fathy's films include Mohammad Saved from the Waters, Derrida’s Elsewhere, and a film poem Nom à la mer, all available on Tamaas website. She also experiments with the visual texture of poems in filmic forms and participated in the Poetry Project with a short piece titled "I Would Like to Say."
Her most recent essays are Au nom de la Murale (Europe N. 1053-1053) and De mur en mur (rue Descartes N.92). Other than Egypt and France, she has lived and worked in Germany, Mexico, and the United States.