Introduction

The broader category of protest self-burning encompasses all public self- destructions by fire performed as expressions of dissent, while its self-immolation subgroup points to those demonstrative acts which were undeniably motivated by altruism and the desire to preserve supra-individual values. The cruelty intrinsic to a protest self-burning is twofold. The act itself is literally cruel, merciless, and ruthless on both physical and psychological levels. Protest self-burnings ignite artists’ imaginations. This is, in itself, not surprising since self-burnings stand as proof of the uncompromising nature of human beings, which is embodied by their capability to sacrifice their lives to amplify the expression of their grievances, dissentions, and objections. Wojciech Smarzowski’s 2018 box office hit drama Kler also features a depiction of self-immolation that was not based on any real-life event. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.