I Am Hymns of the New Temples centers around an investigation into Greek mythology, specifically, the dissemination of myths and their persistence across sources, time and cultures. Founded on extensive archival research, Shawky presents the plurality of history and myth and the way they merge and become indistinguishable from one another using ornate masks, live animals and re-imagined classical tales. In the film, Pompeii's archaeological remains - themselves testament to the interweaving and complex configuration of Mediterranean cultures - become an embodiment of the multiplicity of narrative.