Suha Shoman
I am Everywhere 
Video art film 8.36 mins- 2006

 "The sun of the soul sets not and has no yesterday.” Jallaledin el Rumi

Since the beginning of time man believed there was no boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The stone in prehistory became a symbol of eternity.

The Aramaic and Palmyrian name of a funerary stele is Nefesh meaning vital breath. For the ancient Egyptians, the soul of the deceased appears in the form of a bird, the Ba. The bird Bennu represents the return to life, the phoenix that rises from the ashes.

Filmed in Beida - Petra, "I Am Everywhere" is a reflection on the opposite forces of existence, presence - absence, visible - invisible, fear – faith. It begins with the solitary flight of a bird towards new horizons. A still beam of light, a blinding light suggests the start of the journey towards the after life. It is juxtaposed with the rhythmic flow of a ray of light over the chiseled rocks by the Nabateans, symbol of eternal life. A punctuated sound echoes in the silence blazoning a new beginning. A presence is felt when the image of the reflected light floats in harmony with the sound of breathing and the distant voice of a lone bird. A daunting heartbeat is heard signaling an awakening. Total silence envelops the atmosphere. Ancient hand imprints on the rock appear, marking the passage in time of man. A deafening birds symphony breaks the silence, echoing their last song. All signs disappear gently. There only remains the everlasting light of the beginnings.