As in Mahmoud Darwish’s poem, culture and identity are not only ways to read and discern reality but also tools to protect oneself. Self-protection (“autodéfense”) is sometime a way to resist oppression. The city of Marseille where the video is recorded is now the scene of a massive influx of institutional culture. The video follows a figure through this landscape of cultural modernity built on the ruins of what was before, where curious tourists wander stunned by the site’s beauty. Autodéfense is an invitation to reflect on the meaning and impact produced by the word culture.