In *The Fire This Time*, acclaimed artist, writer, and filmmaker Mariam Ghani delves into historical data to shed light on a world grappling with recent pandemics. This compelling short film draws from three significant outbreaks—cholera, the third plague, and the 1918 influenza pandemic—to illustrate their societal impacts and draw parallels with COVID-19. Each of these crises was marked by profound change, devastating loss, social unrest, and widespread destruction, prompting a crucial question: “What lessons will we take from the fire this time?”
The film transitions between collages of archival visuals and contemporary footage, offering a narrative that explores the complex interplay between public health crises and social upheaval. Featured voices in the documentary include science journalist Sonia Shah, poet and literary scholar Anjuli Raza Kolb, medical anthropologist Christos Lynteris, epidemiologist Keiji Fukuda, economist William A. Darity Jr., and historians Nayan Shah, Kellie Carter Jackson, and Nancy Tomes.
*The Fire This Time* has been showcased at prestigious events, including the BlackStar Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest, and the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival.
Mariam Ghani’s work is centered on themes of language, loss, migration, memory, and history. Her films have been featured at esteemed festivals like Berlinale, Rotterdam, SFFILM, CPH:DOX, and DOC NYC. Ghani’s notable projects include the critically acclaimed documentary *What We Left Unfinished*, which explores five unfinished Afghan Communist films, and her upcoming film *Dis-Ease*, examining perceptions of illness.
